XXX
HOMEWARD BOUND
On Monday morning, bright and early, our boys bade farewell to theirkind entertainers and started on their homeward journey.
Peter lingered a while at the lion-guarded door, for he and his sisterhad many parting words to say.
As Ben saw them bidding each other "good-bye," he could not help feelingthat kisses as well as clocks were wonderfully alike everywhere. TheEnglish kiss that his sister Jennie gave when he left home had said thesame thing to him that the Vrouw van Gend's Dutch kiss said to Peter.Ludwig had taken his share of the farewell in the most matter-of-factmanner possible, and though he loved his sister well, had winced alittle at her making such a child of him as to put an extra kiss "formother" upon his forehead.
He was already upon the canal with Carl and Jacob. Were they thinkingabout sisters or kisses? Not a bit of it. They were so happy to be onskates once more, so impatient to dart at once into the very heart ofBroek, that they spun and wheeled about like crazy fellows, relievingthemselves, meantime, by muttering something about "Peter and donder"not worth translating.
Even Lambert and Ben who had been waiting at the street-corner began togrow impatient.
The captain joined them at last; they were soon on the canal with therest.
"Hurry up, Peter," growled Ludwig--"we're freezing by inches--there! Iknew you'd be the last after all to get on your skates!"
"Did you?" said his brother looking up with an air of deepinterest--"clever boy!"
Ludwig laughed, but tried to look cross, as he said--"I'm in earnest,anyhow. We must get home some time this year."
"Now, boys," cried Peter springing up, as he fastened the last buckle."There's a clear way before us! We will imagine it's the grand race.Ready! One--two--three--START!"
I assure you very little was said for the first half hour. They were sixMercuries skimming the ice. In plain English they went likelightning--no, that is imaginary too. The fact is, one cannot decidewhat to say when half a dozen boys are whizzing past at such a rate. Ican only tell you that each did his best, flying, with bent body, andeager eyes, in and out among the placid skaters on the canal, until thevery guard shouted to them to "hold up!" This only served to send themonward with a two-boy power that startled all beholders.
But the laws of inertia are stronger even than canal guards.
After a while Jacob slackened his speed--then Ludwig--then Lambert--thenCarl.
They soon halted to take a long breath, and finally found themselvesstanding in a group gazing after Peter and Ben who were still racing inthe distance as if their lives were at stake.
"It is very evident," said Lambert, as he and his three companionsstarted on again, "that neither of them will give up until he can't helpit."
"What foolishness!" growled Carl, "to tire themselves at the beginningof the journey--but they're racing in earnest--that's certain. Hallo!Peter's flagging!"
"Not so!" cried Ludwig--"catch him being beaten!"
"Ha! ha!" sneered Carl. "I tell you, boy, Benjamin is ahead."
Now if Ludwig disliked anything in this world, it was to be called aboy--probably because he was nothing else. He grew indignant at once.
"Humph, what are _you_, I wonder. There, sir! _now_ look and see ifPeter isn't ahead!"
"_I_ think he _is_," interposed Lambert, "but I can't quite tell at thisdistance."
"_I_ think he isn't!" retorted Carl.
Jacob was growing anxious--he always abhorred an argument--so he said ina coaxing tone--"Don't quarrel--don't quarrel!"
"Don't quarrel!" mocked Carl, looking back at Jacob as he skated. "Who'squarreling? Poot, you're a goose!"
"I can't help that," was Jacob's meek reply. "See! they are nearing theturn of the canal."
"_Now_ we can see!" cried Ludwig in great excitement.
"Peter will make it first, I know."
"He can't--for Ben is ahead!" insisted Carl. "Gunst! That ice-boat willrun over him. No! he is clear! They're a couple of geese anyhow. Hurrah!they're at the turn. Who's ahead?"
"PETER!" cried Ludwig, joyfully.
"Good for the captain!" shouted Lambert and Jacob.
And Carl condescended to mutter:
"It _is_ Peter after all. I thought, all the time, that head fellow wasBen."
This turn in the canal had evidently been their goal, for the two racerscame to a sudden halt after passing it.
Carl said something about being "glad that they had sense enough to stopand rest,"--and the four boys skated on in silence to overtake theircompanions.
All the while, Carl was secretly wishing that he had kept on with Peterand Ben, as he felt sure he could easily have come out winner. He was avery rapid, though by no means a graceful skater.
Ben was looking at Peter with mingled vexation, admiration and surprise,as the boys drew near.
They heard him saying in English:
"You're a perfect bird on the ice, Peter van Holp. The first fellow thatever beat me in a fair race, I can tell you!"
Peter, who understood the language better than he could speak it,returned a laughing bow at Ben's compliment, but made no further reply.Possibly he was scant of breath at the time.
"Now, Penchamin, vat you do mit yourself? get so hot as afire-brick--dat ish no goot," was Jacob's plaintive comment.
"Nonsense!" answered Ben. "This frosty air will cool me soon enough. Iam not tired."
"You are beaten, though, my boy," said Lambert in English, "and fairly,too. How will it be, I wonder, on the day of the grand race?"
Ben flushed, and gave a proud, defiant laugh, as if to say:
"This was mere pastime. I'm _determined_ to beat then, come what will!"