s. Martin and Baby Martin.]

Choosing the best of the floes, he laid his plank and passed across
successfully. In the next passage, however, the cake tilted up, and
Joe Lambert went down into the water! A shudder passed through the
crowd on shore.

"Poor fellow!" exclaimed some tender-hearted spectator; "it is all
over with him now."

"No; look, look!" shouted another. "He's trying to climb upon the
ice. Hurrah! he's on his feet again!" With that the whole company of
spectators shouted for joy.

Joe had managed to regain his plank as well as to climb upon a cake
of ice before the fields around could crush him, and now moving
cautiously, he made his way, little by little toward the island.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! he's there at last!" shouted the people on the shore.

"But will he get back again?" was the question each one asked himself
a moment later.

Having reached the island, Joe very well knew that the more difficult
part of his task was still before him, for it was one thing for an
active boy to work his way over floating ice, and quite another to
carry a child and lead a woman upon a similar journey.

But Joe Lambert was quick-witted and "long-headed," as well as brave,
and he meant to do all that he could to save these poor creatures for
whom he had risked his life so heroically. Taking out his knife he
made the woman cut her skirts off at the knees, so that she might walk
and leap more freely. Then placing the baby in the basket which was
strapped upon his back, he cautioned the woman against giving way to
fright, and instructed her carefully about the method of crossing.

On the return journey Joe was able to avoid one great risk. As it
was not necessary to land at any particular point, time was of little
consequence, and hence when no large field of ice was at hand, he
could wait for one to approach, without attempting to make use of the
smaller ones. Leading the woman wherever that was necessary, he slowly
made his way toward shore, drifting down the river, of course, while
all the people of the town marched along the bank.

When at last Joe leaped ashore in company with the woman, and bearing
her babe in the basket on his back, the people seemed ready to trample
upon each other in their eagerness to shake hands with their hero.

Their hero was barely able to stand, however. Drenched as he had been
in the icy river, the sharp March wind had chilled him to the marrow,
and one of the village doctors speed