or, The Silver Skates 247

The captain joined them at last. They were soon on the
canal with the rest.

COTIUERVAemll pee oete ra lan
growled Ludwig. ‘“We’re
freezing by inches —there!
I knew you’d be the last,
after all, to get on your

|»

skates

“Did you?” said his
brother, looking up with
an air of deep interest —
“clever boy!”

Ludwig laughed, but tried
to look cross, as he said,
“Tm 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 im-
agine it’s the grand race.
Ready! One, two, three,
start |”

 

I assure you very little
was said for the first half- perer gippinG His sisTER GOOD-BY.
hour. They were six .

Mercuries skimming the ice. In plain English, they went like
lightning. No, that is imaginary too. The fact is, one
cannot decide what to say when half a dozen boys are whizzing