t to me, because it's the last time I'll
be able to join you. Never felt so bad in my life before. Shed a few
tears for me once in a while, won't you?"

The others laughingly promised to accommodate him. Truth to tell, most
of them did feel very sorry for Wallace and the other boys whose
parents had debarred them from all this pleasure before them.

When the hour was up another start was made. This time they headed up
the erratic Radway. The skaters still clung to them, bent on seeing
all they could of those whom they envied so much.

Progress was sometimes very tedious, because the wind persisted in
meeting them head on, and it is not the easiest task in the world to
force an iceboat against a negative breeze. Tacking had to be resorted
to many times, and each mile they gained was well won.

The boys enjoyed the exhilarating exercise, however, and while there
were a few minor accidents nothing serious interfered with their
progress.

It was two o'clock when they sighted Lake Tokala ahead of them.
Shouts of joy from those in advance told the glad story to the toilers
in the rear. This quickened their pulses, and made them all feel that
the worst was now over.

When the broad reaches of the lake had been gained they were able to
make speed once more. It was the best part of the entire trip--the run
across the wide lake. And how the sight of Cedar Island brought back
most vividly recollections of the happy and exciting days spent there
not many months before!

Wallace and his three chums still held on. They declared they were
bound to stick like "leeches" until they had seen the expedition
safely across the lake. What if night did overtake them before they
got back to the Bushkill again? There would be a moon, and skating
would be a pleasure under such favorable conditions.

"Don't see any signs of another wild man on the island, do you, Jack?"
asked Tom Betts, as the _Speedaway_ fairly flew past the oasis in the
field of ice that was crowned by a thick growth of cedars, which had
given the island its name.

"Nothing doing in that line, Tom," replied the other with a laugh.
"Such an adventure happens to ordinary fellows only once in a
life-time. But then something just as queer may be sprung on us in the
place we're heading for."

The crossing of Tokala Lake did not consume a great deal of time, for
the wind had shifted just enough to make it favor them more or less
much of the way over.

"I c'n see smoke c