CHAPTER IX
IN THE ICE BOAT
"What can we do to have some fun?"
"Stand on your head."
"Go off by yourself to a moving picture show."
"You're a whole circus yourself."
It was Dutch Housenlager who had asked the question, and it was TomParsons and his chums who had made answers, for Dutch had invaded theprecinct of their room in search of amusement, to the detriment of thestudious habits of our friends.
"Oh, say now, be decent, can't you?" pleaded Dutch. "I'm in earnest."
"So are we," declared Tom. "We aren't all geniuses like you, Dutch. Wehave to study in order to know anything, but we can't if you come here,begging to be amused."
"I've got to do something--or bust," declared the fun-loving lad indesperation.
"If you're going to blow up, please go outside," invited the bigCalifornian solemnly. "It messes up a room horribly to have a fellowlike you scattered all over it. Get outside!"
"You brute," murmured Dutch. "After all I've done to add to the gaietyof Randall."
"Work off another ink catapult on a new teacher," advised Tom. "That'salways good for a laugh."
"Oh, forget it," urged Dutch, for that was a sore point with him yet,though it had happened some weeks before.
It was now several days since the rescue of the girls, and they hadsuffered no permanent ill effects from their break through the ice. Philand his chums had seized on the excuse of asking about them, to payseveral visits to Fairview, until Miss Philock, the aged preceptress"smelled a mouse," as Sid said, and curtailed the visits of all butPhil, who, by virtue of being a brother, was allowed to see Ruth for afew minutes.
"But what's the fun of going to see your own sister?" asked Phil.
"What indeed?" echoed the others, though some of them wished they werePhil.
And, as the days wore on the cold did not diminish, and the ice on theriver held.
"A slim outlook for Spring games," growled Dutch, as he sat in thechums' room, vainly begging a suggestion for fun.
"Oh, well, warm weather will come, sooner or later," declared Tom witha yawn, flinging a book behind the ancient couch. "How are thingsworking out?"
"Pretty good, I guess," replied Dutch. "Holly and Kindlings have chargeof the arrangements. It's practically decided that we'll be one of afour-sided league. The only point is that of deciding what events to puton the program. Some want one, and some another."
"Think Randall has any chance?" asked Phil.
"Sure," declared Dutch. "Shambler is showing up well in the runs, andFrank here is jumping his head off, and going some with the shot andhammer. You fellows want to perk-up."
"Oh, there's time enough," remarked Tom. "So Shambler is doing goodwork; eh?"
"Fine. I didn't think he could. Some of the fellows seemed to think hehad a yellow streak in him, but it isn't showing, and I don't believe itwill."
And then, it came to Tom, more forcibly than ever, that Shambler didhave a yellow streak in him--the yellow streak of cowardice.
"And if it comes out at the last minute, it will be bad for Randall,"thought Tom. "But I promised to keep still, and I will. If anythinghappens--well, the rest of us will have to make it up, and cover it--forthe honor of Randall."
"Oh I say. I can't stand this!" cried Dutch at length. "I'm getting theblues. Come on out, fellows. I've got a surprise for you. I've beenholding it up my sleeve, thinking you'd suggest something, but, as longas you haven't, I'm going to spring something. Chuck the books!"
"What is it?" asked Sid, glancing up in anticipation.
"Come on out on the river," urged Dutch. "It's early yet, and I guessZane won't make a fuss if we ask him for a little time off. We're allstanding well in classes, thank fortune."
"The river!" yawned Frank. "I've had enough of skating for to-day."
"It isn't skating," declared Dutch. "Come on. I'll guarantee you asurprise and some fun, or you need never trust me again. It's a finemoonlight night--as nice as when we went coasting that time. Come on!"
"What's up?" demanded Tom. "No skylarking with the Spring exams sonear."
"Nothing worse than usual," guaranteed Dutch. "Be sports, and come onbefore the wind dies out."
"Wind! Are you going to fly kites?" asked Sid.
"Something like it. Listen. A fellow up the river has built a home-madeice boat. I saw him at it when he started, and gave him a pointer ortwo."
"That's the first I knew you were an expert on ice boats," chimed inPhil.
"I'm not," admitted Dutch frankly, "but he thought I was, and it was allthe same. He adopted my ideas, and the fun of it is that the boat goeslike a charm. He said I could take it any night I wanted to, and I'mgoing to borrow it now. We'll have a sail under the moon, and blow someof the cobwebs out of our brain."
"Say, that's all to the ham sandwich!" cried Tom. "I'm with you."
"If Zane will let us go," added Sid.
The proctor, after a show of hesitation, yielded and soon the fivestudents were walking along the edge of the frozen river.
The owner of the home-made ice yacht readily gave Dutch permission touse it, and soon the boys had slid it out on the frozen stream andprepared to hoist the sail.
"Do you know how to run it?" asked Tom of Dutch.
"Of course I do. Didn't I help build it? All you have to do is to hoistthe sail and steer. You can't go wrong."
"All right, you do it then," directed Sid. "I'd be sure to have anupset."
"Oh, it's easy," boasted Dutch. "Pile on."
"Well, stop it. Wait for a fellow!" cried Phil, for the craft was evennow moving slowly off before the breeze.
"Hop on!" ordered Dutch. "You can't stop this like an auto, you know.Pile on while it's moving."
They managed to, somehow, and then, with Dutch at the helm, and tomanage the sail, they darted off.
Now, if the truth is to be told, Dutch knew about as much of how tomanage an ice boat as a Hottentot would about running a locomotive, butthe Randallite was not going to admit that.
"I can sure sail up the river, for the wind is blowing that way," hereasoned with himself. "And if it doesn't switch around, and blow usback again, we can walk, and I'll tell the fellows something hasbusted."
Soon the ice boat began to move faster and faster.
"How's this?" demanded Dutch proudly.
"Fine!" cried Sid. "I never knew you could sail one of these things."
"Oh, I don't go about telling all I know," remarked Dutch modestly.
"How do you steer?" asked Tom.
"Same as in a sailboat," replied the helmsman. "When you want to go tothe left you shove this handle over this way, and the opposite way togo to the right. See," and he moved the tiller to one side.
Instantly there was a mix-up, the boat suddenly overturned and fivefigures sprawled out on the ice, while the craft turned around as if ona point, the sail banging in the wind.
"Is--is that the way you always steer?" asked Phil sarcastically, "orwas this just a special method, invented for our amusement?"
"This is his regular way," declared Tom, rubbing his elbows. "It mustbe."
"I--er--I turned too short," stammered Dutch. "I can do better nexttime. Let's right the boat."
"Don't have any 'next time,'" urged Frank. "Just sail straight away, ifit's all the same to you. Hold on there!" he cried as the boat showed aninclination to go off by herself. "Whoa!"
"That's no way to talk to an ice boat," insisted Sid. "You should say'Gee-haw!'"
"Say, I know how to manage her all right," declared Dutch. "Come on now,get on, and we'll go on up the river."
Somewhat less confident of their friend's ability than at first, theboys piled on, and once more they were off. For a time all went well.The ice was smooth and hard, and the breeze powerful enough to send themalong at a kiting pace. Then, as they came opposite Fairview institute,Tom had an idea.
"Let's take a chance, and call for the girls," he said. "The ogresscan't d
o more than turn us down, and she may let them come out for aspin."
"Come on," agreed Phil and the others.
"Can you stop this shebang?" asked Frank, of Dutch.
"Stop it? Of course I can. I'll land you on shore at any spot you say."
"Then put us up by the boat dock, and you can wait there until we comeback. Shall we bring you a girl?"
"Not much," was the indignant answer. "I've got troubles enough tomanage this boat. It's crankier than I thought it was."
Dutch put the helm over, with the intention of steering for the shore.At that moment two figures were seen walking along on the surface of thefrozen river, and the form of one of the figures was vaguely familiar tothe boys.
"Look out! Don't run into them," cautioned Tom.
"No danger," declared Dutch. "I----"
"You're heading right for 'em!" declared Sid.
"Oh, I'll clear 'em all right," asserted the steersman. "Just youfellows sit steady and watch your uncle."
But, in spite of his efforts, the ice boat seemed to be bearing downstraight on the two figures. They halted, hesitated for a moment, andthen prepared to run out of danger.
"It's a lady!" cried Sid.
A scream bore out his assertion.
"Miss Philock, or I'm a sinner!" ejaculated Tom.
The moon came out from behind a rift of clouds, throwing the figuresinto bold relief.
"Look out where you're going!" warned a man's voice.
"Pitchfork!" gasped Sid in a hoarse whisper. "Our Latin professor!"
"And look who he's with!" added Frank.
Down bore the ice boat on the two, like a juggernaut of fate.
"Oh! Oh mercy!" screamed Miss Philock, as she saw the danger.
"Don't you dare to run us down!" cautioned Mr. Tines imperiously.
"Tom--Sid, lend me a hand with this rudder!" cried Dutch. "It's jammed!"
The three students tried in vain to change the course of the craft.Nearer and nearer it came to the luckless two, who were on the frozenriver. There was a scream of fear, a chorus of angry cautions, and thenthe ice boat struck.
The feet of Professor Tines went gracefully from under him, and he satdown on the very bow of the ice boat, clinging to a mast stay. As forMiss Philock, she was struck by one of the runners, tossed into the air,and came down in the blanket-padded cockpit, fortunately striking noneof the boys.
Then, with a lurch the boat slewed around, and headed for shore. Amoment later, being unguided, she seemed to change her mind, and did asort of waltz and two-step combined. Next, with a sharp swing, the craftturned gracefully on her side, and there was a splintering sound as themast snapped, and the sail came down, like a blanket over all.