"Rose, you look
after the others, and I'll get Russ out. The pond is not very deep, and
I'll soon have him out!"

Mr. Bunker ran out on the ice right toward the hole where the black
water was. Russ had not fallen in head first, luckily, and now stood
with the water about up to his waist.

The ice broke under the weight of Mr. Bunker, and into the water he
splashed, but he did not mind. Laddie had quickly crawled away from the
vicinity of the hole, and he now went back to where Rose was looking
after Margy, Mun Bun and Violet.

"I've got you, Russ!" cried Mr. Bunker, as he caught the scared boy in
his arms. And then, wet as both of them were, Mr. Bunker managed to get
up on ice that was firm enough to hold him, and hurried to the bank,
carrying Russ with him.

"I must get you home as soon as I can, and take off your wet clothes,"
he said. "You must be terribly cold. Laddie and Rose, take off your
skates and follow after me. Bring Mun Bun and Margy, and tell Vi to
come. Hurry now. Russ, I told you not to go out in the middle, where the
ice might break."

"I--I'm sorry, Daddy!" shivered Russ. "I won't do it any more."

And I am glad to say he did not.

Of course Mother Bunker and Grandma Ford were excited when Daddy Bunker
came racing in, all dripping wet, with Russ, also soaked through, in his
arms. But Grandmother Ford and Mother Bunker were used to accidents. Dry
clothes were put on, the two shivering ones sat by the fire and drank
hot milk, and soon they were all right again.

The hole in the ice froze over in a little while, and the ice became so
thick that even the grown men could go out in the middle of the pond.
Then there was no danger of the children's tumbling in, and they were
told they might play wherever they liked.

Russ and Laddie had another race--one that was finished, and Russ won,
so he did not have to guess Laddie's riddle.

"If I had beat you," said Laddie, "I was going to ask you why is an
automobile tire like a snake."

"Pooh, that's easy to guess," said Russ. "'Cause it's round and fat."

"Nope," said Laddie. "It's 'cause a snake hisses and so does an auto
tire when the air comes out."

"Oh!" said Russ.

They were all in the house, after dinner, when Dick came in to ask
Grandpa Ford about something that needed fixing in the barn. The hired
man saw the children sitting about with nothing particular to do, and
said:

"How would you like to come for a ride in my boat?"

"Where?"