The lake was frozen over, and the ice was as smooth as glass. We spent
much of our time in skating about over its surface, as the exercise
gave us health and a good appetite.
"Even Cudjo, our colored servant, had taken a fancy for this amusement,
and was a very good skater. Frank was fonder of it than the rest of us,
and was, in fact, the best skater among us.
"One day, however, neither Cudjo nor I had gone out, but only Frank and
Harry. The rest of us were busy at some carpenter work within doors.
"We could hear the merry laugh of the boys, and the ring of their skates
as they glided over the smooth ice. All at once, a cry reached our
ears, which we knew meant the presence of some danger.
"'O Robert!' cried my wife, 'they have broken through the ice!'
"We all dropped what we held in our hands, and rushed to the door. I
seized a rope as I ran, while Cudjo took his long spear, thinking it
might be of use to us. This was the work of a moment, and the next we
were outside the house.
"What was our astonishment to see both the boys, away at the farthest
end of the lake, but skating toward us as fast as they could!
"At the same time, our eyes rested upon a terrible sight.
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