The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope

  CHAPTER XI

  THE CRUISE OF THE "ICE BIRD"

  The building of the ice boat by Bert and Charley Mason interested Nanalmost as much as it did the boys, and nearly every afternoon she wentdown to the lumber yard to see how the work was getting along.

  Mr. Bobbsey had given Bert just the right kind of lumber, and had a manat the saw-mill saw the sticks and boards to a proper size. He also gavehis son some ropes and a pair of old iron runners from a discardedsleigh, so that all Charley had to provide was the bed-sheet alreadymentioned, for a sail.

  The two boys worked with a will, and by Thursday evening had the iceboat completed. They christened the craft the _Ice Bird_, and Bertinsisted upon it that his father come and see her.

  "You have certainly done very well," said Mr. Bobbsey. "This looks asif you were cut out for a builder, Bert."

  "Well, I'd like to build big houses and ships first-rate," answeredBert.

  The sail was rigged with the help of an old sailor who lived down by thelake shore, and on Friday afternoon Bert and Charley took a short trip.The _Ice Bird_ behaved handsomely, much to the boys' satisfaction.

  "She's a dandy!" cried Bert. "How she can whiz before the wind."

  "You must take me out soon," said Nan.

  "I will," answered Bert.

  The chance to go out with Bert came sooner than expected. On Mondaymorning Mrs. Mason made up her mind to pay a distant relative a visitand asked Charley if he wished to go along. The boy wanted to see hiscousins very much and said yes; and thus the ice boat was left in Bert'ssole charge.

  "I'll take you out Monday afternoon, after school," said Bert to histwin sister.

  "Good!" cried Nan. "Let us go directly school is out, so as to have somegood, long rides."

  Four o'clock in the afternoon found them at the lake shore. It was acloudy day with a fair breeze blowing across the lake.

  "Now you sit right there," said Bert, as he pointed to a seat in theback of the boat. "And hold on tight or you'll be thrown overboard."

  Nan took the seat mentioned, and her twin brother began to hoist themainsail of the _Ice Bird_. It ran up easily, and caught by the wind thecraft began to skim over the surface of the lake like a thing of life.

  "Oh, but this is lovely!" cried Nan gleefully. "How fast the boat spinsalong!"

  "I wish there were more ice boats around," answered Bert. "We might thenhave a race."

  "Oh, it is pleasure enough just to sail around," said Nan.

  Many other boys and girls wished a ride on the ice boat, and in the endBert carried a dozen or more across the lake and back. It was ratherhard work tacking against the wind, but the old sailor had taught himhow it might be done, and he got along fairly well. When the ice boatgot stuck all the boys and girls got off and helped push the craftalong.

  "It is 'most supper time," said Nan, as the whistle at the saw-mill blewfor six o'clock. "We'll have to go home soon, Bert."

  "Oh, let us take one more trip," pleaded her twin brother.

  The other boys and girls had gone and they were left alone. To pleaseBert, Nan consented, and their course was changed so that the _Ice Bird_might move down the lake instead of across.

  It had grown dark and the stars which might have shone in the sky werehidden by heavy clouds.

  "Not too far now, remember," said Nan.

  The wind had veered around and was blowing directly down the lake, so,almost before they knew it, the _Ice Bird_ was flying along at atremendous rate of speed. Nan had to hold on tight for fear of fallingoff, and had to hold her hat, too, for fear that would be blown away.

  "Oh, Bert, this is too fast!" she gasped, catching her breath.

  "It's just glorious, Nan!" he cried. "Just hold on, it won't hurt you."

  "But--but how are we to get back?"

  Bert had not thought of that, and at the question his face fell alittle.

  "Oh, we'll get back somehow," he said evasively.

  "You had better turn around now."

  "Let us go just a little bit further, Nan," he pleaded.

  When at last he started to turn back he found himself unable to do so.The wind was blowing fiercely and the _Ice Bird_ swept on before it inspite of all he could do.

  "Bert! Bert! Oh, why don't you turn around?" screamed Nan. She had toscream in order to make herself heard.

  "I--I can't," he faltered. "She won't come around."

  Nan was very much frightened, and it must be confessed that Bert wasfrightened too. He hauled on the sail and on the steering gear, and atlast the _Ice Bird_ swung partly around. But instead of returning up thelake the craft headed for the western shore, and in a few minutes theystruck some lumpy ice and some snow and dirt, and both were thrown outat full length, while the _Ice Bird_ was tipped up on one side.

  Bert picked himself up without difficulty and then went to Nan's aid.She lay deep in the snow, but fortunately was not hurt. Both gazed atthe tipped-up ice boat in very great dismay.

  "Bert, whatever shall we do now?" asked Nan, after a spell of silence."We'll never get home at all!"

  "Oh, yes, we shall," he said, bravely enough, but with a sinking heart."We've got to get home, you know."

  "But the ice boat is upset, and it's so dark I can't see a thing."

  "I think I can right the ice boat. Anyway, I can try."

  Doing his best to appear brave, Bert tried to shove the _Ice Bird_ overto her original position. But the craft was too heavy for him, and twiceshe fell back, the second time coming close to smashing his toes.

  "Look out, or you'll hurt your foot," cried Nan. "Let me help you."

  Between them they presently got the craft right side up. But now thewind was blowing directly from the lake, so to get the _Ice Bird_ out onthe ice again was beyond them. Every time they shoved the craft out thewind drove her back.

  "Oh, dear, I guess we have got to stay here after all!" sighed Bert, atlast.

  "Not stay here all night, I hope!" gasped Nan. "That would be worse thanto stay in the store, as Freddie did."

  It began to snow. At first the flakes were but few, but soon they camedown thicker and thicker, blotting out the already darkened landscape.

  "Let us walk home," suggested Nan. "That will be better than staying outhere in the snow storm."

  "It's a long walk. If only we had brought our skates." But alas! neitherhad thought to bring skates, and both pairs were in the office at thelumber yard.

  "I don't think we had better walk home over the ice," said Bert, afteranother pause. "We may get all turned around and lost. Let us walk overto the Hopedale road."

  "I wish we had some crullers, or something," said Nan, who was growinghungry. They had each had a cruller on leaving home, but had eaten themup before embarking on the ice-boat voyage.

  "Please don't speak of them, Nan. You make me feel awfully hollow," camefrom her twin brother. And the way he said this was so comical it madeher laugh in spite of her trouble.

  The laugh put them both in better spirits, and leaving the _Ice Bird_where she lay, they set off through the snow in the direction of theroad which ran from Lakeport to the village of Hopedale, six miles away.

  "It will take us over an hour to get home," said Nan.

  "Yes, and I suppose we'll catch it for being late," grumbled Bert."Perhaps we won't get any supper."

  "Oh, I know mamma won't scold us after she finds out why we were late,Bert."

  They had to cross a pasture and climb a fence before the road wasreached. Here was an old cow-shed and they stood in the shelter of thisfor a moment, out of the way of the wind and driving snow.

  "Hark!" cried Bert as they were on the point of continuing theirjourney.

  "It's a dog!" answered Nan. "Oh, Bert, he is coming this way. Perhaps heis savage!"

  They listened and could hear the dog plainly. He was barking furiouslyand coming toward them as fast as he could travel. Soon they made outhis black form looming into view through the falling snow.