o-quette Carry. When the sun went down redly, spreading its broad bands
of radiance across ice-sheeted Spinnaker, the Swogon stood bravely at
the head of twenty heavily loaded sleds. The start for the Carry was
scheduled to occur at daybreak.

The moon was round and full that evening, and Parker before turning in
went out and remained at the edge of the lake a moment, looking across
Spinnaker's vast expanse of silvery glory.

"You could take that train acrost the lake to-night, Mr. Parker,"
suggested the foreman, who had followed him from the post-office. "It's
as light as day."

"Do you know," admitted the young man, "I just came out with the uneasy
feeling, somehow, that I ought to fire up and start out. I suppose the
old women would call it a presentiment. But the men have worked too
hard to-day to be called out for a night job. With a freeze like that we
haven't got to hurry on account of the weather."

The foreman patted his ears briskly, for the night wind was sweeping
down the lake and squalling shrewishly about the corners of buildings in
the little settlement. Suddenly the man shot out a mittened hand, and
pointed up the lake.

"What's that?" he ejaculated.

Parker gazed. Far up Spinnaker a dim white bulk seemed to hover above
the ice. It was almost wraith-like in the moonlight. It flitted on like
a huge bird, and seemed to be rapidly advancing toward Sunkhaze.

[Illustration: A dim white hulk seemed to hover 117-140]

"If it were summer-time and this were Sandy Hook," said Parker, with a
smile, "I should think that perhaps the cup-race might be on."

"I should say, rather, it is the ghost of Gid Ward's boom gunlow,"
returned the man, not to be outdone in jest. "He's got an old scow with
a sail like that."

Both men surveyed the dim whiteness with increasing interest.

"Are there any ice-boats on the lake?" inquired the engineer.

"I never heard of any such thing hereabouts."

"Well, I have made that out to be an iceboat of some description. And
with that spread of sail it is making great progress." Parker rolled
up his coat collar and pulled down his fur cap. A feeling of disquiet
pricked him. "I think I'll stay here a little while and watch that
fellow," he said.

"So will I," agreed his employe.

The approaching sail grew rapidly. Soon the craft was to be descried
more in detail. Under the sail was a flat, black mass. And now on the
breeze came swelling a chorus of rude songs, the melody of