Molly and Jenny, their soft eyes full of the intelligence of the situation, rested easily in full confidence.

But Pat and Henrys, new to this sort of emergency, were badly frightened and excited.

To them the affair had come to a deadlock.
"Oh, Lord!" cried Pat, clinging desperately to Jenny's headpiece.

"What will we'z be doin'?
We can't niver haul them two horses on the ice." "Tak' de log-chain," said Fabian to Henrys, "an' tie him around de nec' of Jenny." Henrys, after much difficulty and nervous fumbling, managed to loosen the swamp-hook; and after much more difficulty and nervous fumbling succeeded in making it fast about the gray mare's neck.

Fabian intended with this to choke the animal to that peculiar state when she would float like a balloon on the water, and two men could with ease draw her over the edge of the ice.