They all began to be very much alarmed--all but Tiger, who did not quite comprehend the situation of affairs, and who looked up into the boys' faces with an expression of curiosity, as though he wanted to say: "I wonder what mischief these little rogues are up to now ?" Several people who were crossing the bridge now noticed the perilous situation of the boys, and stopped to look at them.

As soon as Alfred noticed them, he cried out slowly, at the top of his voice: "Halloo, there! send us a boat, will you?
we 're sinking!" [Illustration: Afloat on the Ice.] There was some doubt whether the people on the bridge understood the cry, and the other boys repeated it as loud as they could, in the meantime also trying to manifest their want by signs and gestures.
Some of the spectators upon the bridge, who were now quite numerous, shouted back in reply; but the boys, being to their windward, could not understand what they said.

Their frail support was now moving rapidly along, and whirling about in the eddies more alarmingly than ever.

It had sunk so low that they were all standing in the water, and they expected it would shortly break to pieces and precipitate them all into the river.

There were four of them upon the cake, besides the dog.
The two youngest boys began to cry with fright; but Oscar and Alfred, though they were as much alarmed as the others, did not manifest it in this way, but were looking anxiously towards the bridge and the shore for relief.
The boys were not long kept in this dreadful state of suspense; for pretty soon they discovered a boat putting out towards them from the end of the bridge.