THE WORLD OF ICE. OF

gave the ball a kick that nearly burst it, and down it
came exactly between O'Riley and Grim, who chanced
to be far ahead of the others. Grim dashed at it.
“Och! ye big villain,” muttered the Irishman to him-
self, as he put down his head and rushed against the
carpenter like a battering-ram.

Big though he was, Grim staggered back from the
impetuous shock, and O'Riley following up his advan-
tage, kicked the ball in a side direction, away from
every one except Buzzby, who happened to have been
stecring rather wildly over the field of ice. Buzzby,
on being brought thus unexpectedly within reach of
the ball, braced up his energies for a kick; but seeing
O'Riley coming down towards him like a runaway
locomotive, he pulled up, saying quietly to himself,
“Ye may take it all yer own way, lad; I’m too old
a bird to go for to make my carcass a butter for a
madeap like you to run agin,”

Jack Mivins, however, was troubled by no such
qualins. He happened to be about the same distance
from the ball as O’Riley, and ran like a deer to reach
it first. A pool of water lay in his path, however,
and the necessity of going round it enabled the Ivish-
man to gain on him a, little, so that it became evident
that both would come up at the same moment, and a
collision be inevitable.

“Hold yer wind, Paddy,” shouted the men, who
paused for a moment to watch the result of the race.
“ Mind your timbers, Mivins! Back your top-sails,
O'Riley ; iind how he yaws 1”

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