The Argosy — page 387: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

364 My Saturdays. » part of the pond. Presently he gave an exclamation, and we saw his light glitter on something lying just inside the line. He stooped under to pick it up, and in doing so his foot slipped, he fell on his back, and slid along the ice. There wasa crack, a splash of water, and his lantern lay broken, the light inside giving a moment’s glimpse of a dark ugly hole, and a flood of water, swallowing up the glossy surface. I shrieked for help ; Charlotte gave one clear loud cry, and rushed down, and on to the ice, I after her. When we reached the hole, Herman’s white face had risen, and he was clinging to the ice, which broke away under his hands. ‘Stretch out your arms and reach,” cried Charlotte ; ‘‘don’t hold it with your hands. Don’t struggle; help is coming.” She laid her- self down flat on the ice, and drew herself towards the hole. ‘* Kneel down, Mrs. Singleton ; hold my feet with all your strength.” I obeyed, and she stretched out her hands until she could clasp Herman’s numbed fingers in the freezing water. ‘‘T have him,” she cried. ‘‘ Now call—call with all your might.” I called, but no one came. The thick curtains shut in our cries ; the ice cracked and cracked; the bitter cold water came flooding round us, soaking us to the skin, chilling us to the bone; what was it for that fragile creature, plunged in it up to his neck? ‘¢ He must be got out,” said Charlotte. ‘‘ Let me move forward a little.” She pushed herself nearer to him, and slid her hands up to his arms. The ice broke away as she dragged him forward, but they were moving shorewards, and presently he got his foot on the bottom. He raised himself; she clasped him round the body; and using all her strength, and helped by me, rose to her knees and her feet, and lifted him out. Then Herman spoke the first word that he had uttered. He had sunk without acry ; he was drowning mutely ; he had not spoken during the long struggle. Now he said: ‘‘'You have saved my life: but you have only saved what was your own. Iam yours, body and soul.” Then he staggered, and fainted. Il. Our joint adventure and wetting affected the three of us in varying degrees. Charlotte went about her work as usual the next day, and laughed at the numerous enquiries after her health; I caught a violent cold, but was not materially the worse; Herman fell seriously ill. The fall, the shock, and the chill were more than enough to account for any consequences to so delicate an organisation, and I feared the worst. Shut up in my room for several days, I could only send to enquire, and had to be content with the official bulletins issued by Mrs. Pothinger, on the authority of the great London physician who patronised Dr. Carfield’s treatment. These wore to my mind an obvious air of ‘ making the best of it”—which I distrusted. I was Gomicbooks (Elo)