ice boat.

Dick's ice boat was large enough to hold him and two little Bunkers at a
time, and first he said he would take Russ and Mun Bun, for Russ could
hold on to his little brother.

"I have to manage the sail and steer the boat," explained the hired man,
"and sometimes we go pretty fast. Then you have to hold on as tight as
you can. But you'll not spill out, for the ice is smooth."

Russ and Mun Bun took their places on some pieces of old carpet that
Dick had put in the cabin of his boat. It was not like the cabin of any
other boat, for it was open on all sides. Really all it could be called
was a shallow box.

"All ready?" asked Dick.

"All ready!" answered Russ, holding tightly to Mun Bun.

Away they sailed over the ice, turning this way and that, and they went
so fast that, at times, it almost took away the breath of Mun Bun and
Russ. But they liked it, and laughed so gleefully about it that Laddie
and Violet were eager to have their turn.

They, too, liked the ride on the ice boat, as it glided across the
frozen pond. The wind blew on the sail, and made the ice boat go fast.

Then came the turn of Rose and Margy. At first Margy thought she would
not go, but when they told her how much Mun Bun had liked it, and when
Mun Bun himself had said he wanted to go again, Margy let Rose lift her
in.

"Here we go!" cried Dick, and away glided the boat. Back and forth
across the pond it went, and Rose laughed, and so did Margy. She found
she liked it very much.

"Could I have another ride?" asked Russ after a bit.

"I guess so," agreed Dick. "I'll take you and Laddie this time. The wind
is stronger now, and we'll go faster--too fast for the smallest ones,
maybe."

"I like to go fast!" exclaimed Russ. But he went even faster than he
expected to.

As Dick had said, the wind was blowing very strong now, and it stretched
the sail of the ice boat away out. Dick had all he could do to hold it
while Russ and Laddie got on board.

"All ready?"

"All ready!" answered Russ.

The boat swung around and away it whizzed over the ice. Russ and Laddie
clung to the sides of the box-like cabin, and Russ had fairly to shout
to make himself heard above the whistling of the wind.

"This is fast!" he called in Laddie's ear.

"Yes, but I like it," said the smaller boy. "I'm going to make up a
riddle about the ice boat but it goes so fast as soon as I think of
anything in my head I forget it."

"It's fun!" exclaimed Russ