The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-04-29

HOl YET louuueu
out the pleasures of this life.
He who has never yet bravely stood
upon the runner-board of a c~areening,
unruly ice-boat, in a bitter, driving
wind, and had his trousers tightly
Rugged just below the knees by a
frightened, laughing maiden, has not
yet filled to the brim his cup OF Joy.
For what wild, clustering Boreas is to
a balmy, gentle Zephyrus, ice-boating
is to water-boating. To stand upon
the windward side of a pitching, plung-
ing, Interchangeable ice-boat, as
she tufts up to within forty-five points
Of the line of wind, the runners lift
ing threateningly from the ice at every
gust, will thrill the blood of the most
blase devotee of pleasure in this broad
land. To any man worthy OF the
name, the mingled "Ohs!' and "Ahs!'
n merry screams from the lips OF a
bevy of rompish damsels, is as sweet
music as were ever the lyric strains of
Orpheus to the Argonauts. Their
bright eyes and blood-red, wind-kissed
cheeks would be an object lesson to
any bachelor on the sunny side Of fifty;
and If any such should chance to read
these lines, suffer me to prescribe a
large dose of ice-boating every other
day, for n week. If, at the end OF
that time, undeg this treatment, he is
not a benedict, either in esse or in
posse, I unhestitatingly pronounce him
hopelessly incurable.
When all is ready for the start, the
boats head is thrown into the wind, so
that none of her sails will draw; the
stays are examined to see that they
are hard and fast, for should one of
these give way under a speed of forty
or fifty miles an hour, the result might
be disastrous. The jib and mainsail
are hauled up, the halyards secured,
and the boat pushed a little way from
the shore in order to catch the full
force of the wind. Then the girls are
tucked away in the box; the boat slow
ly swings around until her sails fill
she FORCES ahead, and the crew jump
On. Before they are fairly seated, the
dark ice is flying under them at a
speed to turn ones head. The boat
glides along almost without a tremor,
except when she strikes an occasional
rough spot. The gliding motion is so
deceptive that one does not realize the
speed attained. A little hummock will
give her a shake; the novice looks to
see what was struck, but looks in vain,
for it is already far behind, and the
stanch little craft is again moving
smoothly along. She gives out scarce
ly a sound except a low, singing noise
like the humming of a giant top, and
the cutting into the ice of the sharp
toes, from the heels of which rise min
iature fountains of white rime.
Now you approach the other side o
the lake, and hear the steerman's
warning cry as he prepares to "pur
about" If you happen"to have enough
live ballast a~board-say half a doze1
robust girls-this operation is not at
tended with much excitement, for thei.
MISUNDERSTANDING the too gen
orally accepted belief that they hav'
none-is sufficient to steady the boat
unless their presence has unsteadie.
the steersman. But where no such de
lightful ballast is aboard, or the ere,
is short-handed, it is quite anothe
thing. The helmsman throws tn
crafts head into the teeth OF the wind
, the jib and mainsail slap and bang q
if angered at the interruption, an,
hungry to get at the wind. Now tn
crew dash across to man the runner
boards on the opposite side, where the
hang or by the stays. The boon
swings over, the steersman ducks hi
head to dodge it, the boat slowly fall
off into the wind, the sails cease thei
uproar as they fill, she FORCES ahead
and in a few seconds is dashing owe
the smooth, clear course at railroa
speed, nearly or quite a mile a minut
( if the wind be a half-gale. But VIC
unto that Indifferent or belated sailo
S caught before the mast by tie thrash
t ing jib, ere the boat falls into tn
wind; for it will hang to him like til
. old man Of the sea, wrap itself aroun
= him, haul him this way and that, and
he be not as agile as a monkey, sen
him sprawling overheard, where h
d can rub his bruises until the boz
makes another tack and picks him u,
n Under way again, you shoot past tt
e skaters with their little trianguls
sails, something after the manner tn;
an express-train goes by fence-post
!. The skaters halloo at you, but befol
you can answer they are half out
e hearing. On you speed, soothed /
Is the soft humming of the runners {
. they rapidly vibrate upon the hard su
face, and absorbed in watching the il
# sweep by you in long, straight line
while below, from the iron heel of Il
a runner-shoe, the little fountain of fro
ever rises and falls. Now the looko,
cries in warning tones, "Set-lines
. They dot the ice in every directio
Answering instantly to the swing
the tiller, the flying boat veers suddel
ly to the right, and then to the lei
i imparting to yoe a motion that "
imagine might also be enjoyed fro
lie the tail-end of a sky-rocket.
Out of the labyrinth of SETTINGS, Il
4 steersman breathes more easily. al
C. all is going as smoothly as the fir
H. week of matrimony, when suddenl
without the least warning, the DO
I'd yaws fearfully, jerking around at rig
u angles to her course, and you are fo
tunate if you are still aboard. But b
fore you have time to collect 20