Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible,
in order to see things a little better. All of a sudden one of the boys
cried: "Oh, see, there is a cradle afloat in mid-stream!" The other boy,
whose sight was keener, shouted: "See, a dog is swimming after it and is
trying to push it toward the shore!"
Several strong men standing near-by had long hooked poles, and were
busily engaged dragging things out of the river. One of them, a young
fisherman, saw the cradle and cried: "A baby must be in that cradle,
because the dog would not bother about an empty cradle. Up, brothers,
up, let us try to save the child. Let not the fidelity and bravery of a
dog put us to shame."
Notwithstanding the threatening danger of being crushed to death by the
rushing ice-floes, the men launched a boat and jumped into it. They
reached the cradle and discovered the child in it. They placed cradle
and babe in their boat and brought them safely to land.
The people rushed forward and crowded around the cradle to look at the
infant. Among the spectators were a gentleman and his wife, named Trent.
"Oh, what a beautiful child," cried Mrs. Trent, as she bent over the
baby. "See how peacefully it sleeps, not knowing through what dangers it
has passed, not dreaming it has been saved."
Mrs. Trent had lately lost a dear little baby, so she approached her
husband and said: "Do see how this babe resembles our lost Isabel; and
it seems to be of the same age.
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