"I don't know; very probably some travellers lost upon the pond." Jonas was right in his conjecture: as they came nearer and nearer, the sounds became more distinct. "Hal--loo!" vociferated Jonas. "Hal--loo!" was the answer. "Can--you--come--and--help--us?" "Ay, ay," said Jonas; "we're coming." "Ay, ay," shouted Josey, in his loudest voice, which, being more shrill than that of Jonas, was perhaps heard farther. Still nothing was to be seen. Besides being dark, the atmosphere was thick with snow. So it was not until they got very near to the travellers, that they could see them at all. They saw at last, however, some dark-looking object before them. On coming up to it, they found that it was a horse and sleigh. The horse was in a very deep snow-drift, and was half lying down. There was a woman in the sleigh, with a small child in her arms, and a boy, about as large as Josey, standing at the horse's head. "O, I am so glad you have got some oxen, sir!" said the woman. "We couldn't have got out without oxen." "I don't see how the snow happens to be so deep just here." "Why, it's that island," said the woman; "I suppose there is an island off there. I told Isaiah it would be drifted under this island; and now the horse is all beat out; and, besides, we don't know the way." "Well," said Jonas, "I'll hook the oxen on, and we'll soon get you to the land. Isaiah, you take your horse out of the sleigh." So Isaiah went to work to unhook the traces and the hold-backs, in order to get the horse free from the sleigh. "I'll get out," said the woman. "No," said Jonas; "you sit still, and keep your child warm." As soon as Isaiah had taken the horse out, Jonas told him to lead him around behind the sleigh, while he turned the shafts over back against the dasher, and then he brought the oxen up in front of the sleigh. He first, however, drove the oxen out of the road with the sled, so as to leave that where it would not be in the way. Then he took two chains from the sled, and attached the oxen, by means of them, to the forward part of the sleigh. When all was ready, he put Josey in with the woman, and let Isaiah lead his horse behind. He then started the oxen.