Bird_ swept on before it in
spite of all he could do.

"Bert! Bert! Oh, why don't you turn around?" screamed Nan. She had to
scream in order to make herself heard.

"I--I can't," he faltered. "She won't come around."

Nan was very much frightened, and it must be confessed that Bert was
frightened too. He hauled on the sail and on the steering gear, and at
last the _Ice Bird_ swung partly around. But instead of returning up the
lake the craft headed for the western shore, and in a few minutes they
struck some lumpy ice and some snow and dirt, and both were thrown out
at full length, while the _Ice Bird_ was tipped up on one side.

Bert picked himself up without difficulty and then went to Nan's aid.
She lay deep in the snow, but fortunately was not hurt. Both gazed at
the tipped-up ice boat in very great dismay.

"Bert, whatever shall we do now?" asked Nan, after a spell of silence.
"We'll never get home at all!"

"Oh, yes, we shall," he said, bravely enough, but with a sinking heart.
"We've got to get home, you know."

"But the ice boat is upset, and it's so dark I can't see a thing."

"I think I can right the ice boat. Anyway, I can try."

Doing his best to appear brave, Bert tried to shove the _Ice Bird_ over
to her original position. But the craft was too heavy for him, and twice
she fell back, the second time coming close to smashing his toes.

"Look out, or you'll hurt your foot," cried Nan. "Let me help you."

Between them they presently got the craft right side up. But now the
wind was blowing directly from the lake, so to get the _Ice Bird_ out on
the ice again was beyond them. Every time they shoved the craft out the
wind drove her back.

"Oh, dear, I guess we have got to stay here after all!" sighed Bert, at
last.

"Not stay here all night, I hope!" gasped Nan. "That would be worse than
to stay in the store, as Freddie did."

It began to snow. At first the flakes were but few, but soon they came
down thicker and thicker, blotting out the already darkened landscape.

"Let us walk home," suggested Nan. "That will be better than staying out
here in the snow storm."

"It's a long walk. If only we had brought our skates." But alas! neither
had thought to bring skates, and both pairs were in the office at the
lumber yard.

"I don't think we had better walk home over the ice," said Bert, after
another pause. "We may get all turned around and lost. Let us walk over
to the Hopedale road."

"I wi