The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-03-05

plain to anybody, but when he had re-
ceiNed the bundle of written sheets from
! the Cosmos man and was leaving, u
sudden thought that he could not possibly
return till late made him call to the tele-
graph operator to send word to his
father where he had gone. %
Final instructions We're given him by
| the newspaper man, also a card, to show
to the operator at the Bluffs in default
of money to pay for the telegram. Ten
minutes litter he had clamped on his
skates and was off. 80
lake from the northeast. 1t struck him
OH his right side, and while it did not
actually impede him, made breathing no
easy task. But the ice was firm, and
green and as smooth as it could be, and
he swung along ut Il smart pace. for
there was not Il better skater in Lake.
view. Five miles We're covered in short
order. Then he slackened his speed and
began to consider what course he should
adopt.
1t he Went all the way down the lake
to a. point opposite Pine Bluffs and cut
straight across to the town it would be
safest, for he would have thick, smooth
ice for the whole distance: but it would
also take him longer than to strike dag
onally across the lake from where he
then was, The latter plan would take
which he could not be sure, but he would,
thereby. save nearly half an hour of val
uahle time provided the ice held.
ed him. The Cosmos needed the
story" as the man had called it, as
soon as possible. He had undertaken to
see that it got through quickly. He felt
of that paper had the matter in hand he
would not weigh his convenience, or even
some danger, against doing the service
speedily.
Ike swung around, and started out on
straight course for the town. The wind
was on his back. and if he had Skated
fast before. he now was ringing along at
Il space which made his earlier effort
seem slow. In five minutes he was en-
tirely without the shelter of the high
ground.
The ice was still firm. but almost trans
parent under the light which the moon
occasionally gave. as it struggled from
between clouds. 1t had stopped showing,
but little whirlwin,ls of light pow,lery
flakes now and then scurried across his
path. !
For some reason which he could not ut
first explain, Bert began to grow uneasy.
He strove III vain to drive the fear from
there was no break in it; appa rently it
was firm and capable of bearing his
weight. But somehow the feel of it
told him that he was in danger. As he
swept forward he seemed to be rising
and falling with each long stroke. He
had been on such ice before, 1t bent I'M.
der him in waves. and he knew that if
there had been more light. by looking
over his shoulder he would have seen it
undulating i'll long swels. just like the
water Of the lake on a calm day.
The ice was too thin to bear his weight
if he stood still for an instant. The
Swimming speed of his flight alone kept
him from crashing through it. Would it
grow thinner? If it did there was little
chance of his getting safely to land. He
was nearly in the middle of the lake,
and there, presumably. the ice was weak
est. He knew it was Il race for life.
Suddenly back of him, the painting boy
heard an ominous crack. 1t did not need
IL glance behind to tell him what had hap
penel. A chill struck through him; but
the fear merely made him increase his