nas," said he with astonishment, "how came you here?"

"I came to help Isaiah get off the pond," said Jonas. "But how did you
find out where we were?"

"Franco guided us," said the farmer. "He followed the road along some
time, and then he wanted to turn off suddenly towards the pond. We
wouldn't follow him for some time; but he _would_ go that way, and no
other. When he came to the shore of the pond, we found your rafter laid
there, and that made us think you must have gone upon the ice, but we
couldn't imagine what for. At last, we found where you had left the
sled, and then we began to halloo to you."

"But, uncle," said Josey, "didn't you see our heap of rafters, by the
road where we turned off?"

"No," said his uncle.

"We put a load there."

"Then they must have got pretty well covered up," said he, "for we
didn't observe them."

The whole party followed Franco, who led them out to the shore the
shortest way. They took Isaiah and his mother to the house, and gave
them some supper, and let them stay there that night. The next morning,
when Jonas got up, he found that it was clearing away; and when, after
breakfast, he looked out upon the pond, to see if he could see any thing
of his sled, he observed, away out half a mile from shore, two short
rows of stakes, sticking up in the snow, not far from on island. The
body of the sled was wholly buried up and concealed from view.

CHAPTER VII.

A FIRE

The last of February drew nigh, which was the time fixed upon for Josey
to go home. He had remained with his uncle much longer than his father
had at first intended; but now they wanted him to return, before the
roads broke up in the spring.

The evening before Josey was to go, the farmer was sitting by the fire,
when Jonas came in from the barn.

"Jonas," said the farmer, "I have got to write a letter to my brother,
to send by Josey to-morrow; why won't you take a sheet of paper and
write for me, and I'll tell you what to say. You are rather handier with
the pen than I am."

Jonas accordingly brought a sheet of paper and a pen and ink, and took
his place at a table at the back side of the room, and the farmer
dictated to him as follows:

"Dear Brother,

"I take this opportunity to inform you that we are all alive
and well, and I hope that you may be the same. This will be
handed to you by Josey, who leaves us to-morrow, according
to your orders. We have been very glad to hav