Wade knew his mark, — the cut of his own skate-iron. This busy oar was still resolved to play its part in the drama.
The round little skiff just bore the third person without sinking.
Wade laid Mary Damer against the thwart. She would not let go her buoy. He unclasped her stiffened hands. This friendly touch found its way to her heart. She opened her eyes and knew him.
“The ice shall not carry off her hat to frighten some mother, down stream,” says Bill Tarbox, catching it.
All these proceedings Cap’n Ambuster’s spy-glass announced to Dunderbunk.
“They’re h’istin’ her up. They’ve slumped her into the skiff. They’re puttin’ for shore. Hooray!”
Pity a spy-glass cannot shoot cheers a mile and a half!
Perry Purtett instantly led a stampede of half Dunderbunk along the railroad-track to learn who it was and all about it.
All about it was, that Miss Damer was safe, and not dangerously frozen, — and that Wade and Tarbox had carried her up the hill to her mother at Peter Skerrett’s.
Missing the heroes in chief, Dunderbunk made a hero of Cap’n Ambuster’s skiff. It was transported back on the shoulders of the crowd in triumphal procession. Perry Purtett carried round the hat for a contribution to new paint it, new rib it, new
