252 Hans Brinker

threw the strong-chested Carl: it almost strangled Jacob, and
quite upset Ludwig.
“This settles the question,” shouted Peter. ‘ Of with
your skates! Well go into Voorhout.”
At Voorhout they found a little inn with a big yard. The
yard was well bricked, and, better than all, was provided with
a complete set of
skittles: so our
boys soon turned
the detention into
a frolic. The
wind was trouble-
some, even in that
- sheltered quarter ;
but they were on
good standing-
ground, and did

 

not mind it.
First a hearty

dinner, then the

game. With pins as long as their arms, and balls as big as

A GUST OF WIND.

their heads, plenty of strength left for rolling, and a clean
sweep of sixty feet for the strokes, no wonder they were
happy.

That night Captain Peter and his men slept soundly. No
prowling robber came to disturb them; and, as they were dis-
tributed in separate rooms, they did not even have a bolster-
battle in the morning.

Such a breakfast as they ate! The landlord looked
frightened. When he had asked them where they ‘“ be-
longed,” he made up his mind that the Broek people starved