before nine."

"Well," said his wife, "and 'tisn't much past eight now."

"It's the moon, you may depend," said the farmer; "perhaps our time is a
little out." So he returned to the chair, sat down in it, and put his
feet out towards the fire.

"Well," said his wife, "we shall know pretty soon; for, if it is the
moon, it will soon rise higher."

So they all stood a few minutes, and watched the light. It seemed to
enlarge a little, and to grow somewhat brighter; but it did not move
from its place.

"It certainly must be a fire," said the farmer's wife again; "and I
wish, husband, that you'd let the boys take Kate in the sleigh, and go
along the pond and see."

"I've no objection," said the farmer, "if they've a mind to take that
trouble; but they'll find nothing but the moon, they may depend."

"Let's go," said Amos.

"Very well," said Jonas; "I'm ready."

"We'll go too, boys," said the farmer's wife, "Isabella and I. You can
put in two seats. There are no hills, and Kate will take us all along
like a bird. I never saw a fire in my life."

The boys hastened to the barn, and got Kate out of the stall. Franco,
who knew that something extraordinary must have taken place, though he
could not tell what, came out from his place, leaped about, and
indicated, by his actions, that, wherever they were going, he meant to
go too.

The sleigh was soon harnessed. They drove up to the door, and found
Isabella and her mother all ready. They took their places upon the back
seat, while Amos and Jonas sat upon another seat, which they had placed
in, before. Oliver came running with a bucket, which he put in under the
forward seat, and then he jumped on behind, standing upon the end of the
runner, and clinging to the corner of the sleigh, close to Isabella's
shoulder.

Kate set off at a rapid trot down the road, which led to the pond. The
sleigh went very easily, for the road was smooth. There had been rain
and thaws lately, and cold weather after them, so that the surface of
the road had melted, and then become frozen again; and this made it
icy. They found the ice of the pond in the same state. The rain and the
thaws had melted the snow, upon the top of the ice, and made it a sheet
of water. Then this had frozen again, so that now the surface of the
pond was almost every where hard and smooth; and when they came down
upon it, and turned to go across the bay, the horse being at his full
speed, the sleigh swept round sideway