The Van Buren press., 1898-01-08


over 10 the pond. What was bis chag-
rim 10 find the boys and girls already
in possession OF the ice. lie haited on
the margin, undecided as TO his course.
As he stood there he heard shout from
the other end Of the pond. There was
a piece Of treacherous ice in that d.
reetion, and Joe sprang forward and
gazed with startled eyes. The crowd
was skating toward the dangerous spot.
Somebody had broken through.
Joe's skates were already strapped
to the heavy leg boots which be carried
In his hand. II was but the work Of
moment for him to kick off the shoes
he wore and pull the boots on his feet.
Then he darted out upon the ice and
sped down the pond like an arrow from
the bow. No boy IN Five Forks could
skate like Joe Hall; and none in that
group of terrified youngsters kept his
head as Joe did. No one had dared go
near the broken ice, but Joe dashed on
toward it like the wind.
Look out.H yelled Bob Murray, see
ing him coming. Its cracking all about
there"
But Joe kept right on. When some
yards from the hole he cast himself
fiat upon the ice and slid along almost
as rapidly. the sharp points of bis
skates dragging as brake. The treaeh-
erous ice sagged and cracked beneath
him, but he slid on until his out
IL ha Irra -
the hole The white, fear-strieken face
and weakly y-brandishing arms of Leon
ard Ashton were just before him.
Joe dug his skates deeper into the
ice and seized the drowning boy by the
collar. Poor Len gripped his arm des-
perately, but he was too far gone to
otherwise assist himself Joe felt un-
equal to the task of pulling his old
time enemy out. In a few moments
Lens weight would drag him over the
edge, too.
"Quick!" he shouted. Zone of you
fellows lie down and grab my leg.
Make a lifeline. can't hold him long"
Nobody moved for a moment. Then
Bob Murray skated cautiously forward,
laid down and wormed himself along
the ice until he could grasp Joe's ankles
Another boy quickly followed and
seized Bobs legs. Soon there was a
string of humanity leading back to the
solid ice-a human "life line" indeed.
Then the others laid hold, and with
mighty tug the line of boys was dragged
back, and Len came with them.
Joe got up and skated away without
a word, and when the excited boys and
girls looked around for him he had left
the pond.
Len was hurried to the school-house
and his father sent for. Mr. Ashton
carried his son home under an almost
suffoeating weight of blankets and bnf-
falo robes in the bottom of his sleigh,
and Len was put to bed and dosed with
hot drinks, until by morning the dan
gerous effects of his accident were avert
ed
When he came down to breakfast,
as wan and interesting-looking an in
valid as a healthy boy of Is with a
snub nose can look, he saw an object
lying beside his plate which brought
cry of amazement to his lips. 1t was
the cameo ring.
"Where-where did it come from?
Did joe"
"Stopi" exclaimed his father, with
some sternness. Just remember that
il it hadn't been for Joe Hall, in all
probability you wouldn't be eating
breakfast with us this morning" And
his voice broke.
Don't l know that?" responded
Len, gulping down a lump in his own
throat. "But where did that ring come
from?"
"When your mother was maxim some
punkin pies, yestday, she found it when
she went to cut her punkin," said Mr..
Ashton. at was just where it fell when
you boys was foolin' that day-jammed
right down next the stem of the punkin.
It'd serve you just right il | took the
ring away from you, after maxim so
much trouble with It,"
But he didn't, OF course, for Len wore
it for a good many years afterward,
and l guess his boy wears it now. Len
himself probably never looks at that
cameo ring without remembering the
lesson which the episode taught him.
AS for Joe, he didn't go away from
Five Forks-at least not then. He had
won the admiration of his schoolmates
in spite of themselves, and when he
finally left the prairie, having Learned
all Miss haywood could teach," Len
Ashton was his closest friend.-Wom-