The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-01-19
She united the boat

ana IuTHeu u.
Yes, she felt sure she knew all about
1t. Or, II not quite all, enough To make
the three miles down the lake safely.
The two small sails were already
spread, with reef in the mainsail, and
already the little craft moved, as If In
a hurry for start. Edna took her
place on ii, leaned on her elbow and
grasped the rudder just as the boys did.
And she was off.
She pointed out from the shore a
little, then drove straight down the
lake. Certainly she could do it; the
boat answered to her every turn of the
rudder. 1t was easy enough. 1t was
splendid! She heard the swift rush
of the "shoes" over the smooth ice.
Glancng towards the shore, she knew
by certain bend that she had sailed
half mile. The road to the Corletts'
followed the lake. and anywhere be-
yond that bend the boys, if they should
look towards the lake, would see her.
The fact added distinctly to her salts
| faciion.
She was going too fast, though. The
wind whistled around her ears, and ii
was like great strong hands pushing
against the sails. The boats speed
grew with every moment; it was fair
ly spinning. There before her was
rock rising from the ice; Edna gave
gasp of dismay twisting the rudder;
and when she was safe past it she
was still inwardly gasping. For how
fearfully fast she was going! And she
didn't know how TO help it at all.
She knew how the boys could run
her into the wind" when they wanted
to stop; but in the same breath she re-
membered how once, in turning. the
wind had lifted the boat off the hind
runners and slowed her around on the
fore runners, and how narrowly they
had escaped being swept clean off
She dared not try it.
If she could tie up the sais-but she
did not venture TO get 10 her feet; she
was afraid the wind would take her
off them. And the fact was that she
did not know what to do to the sails
anyhow. She did not understand them
And meanwhile the ice boat flew fast
and faster. 1t whizzed Not for
minute did Edna confess to herself
that her courage was oozing; but she
looked ahead, down the white stretch
of ice, and her heart beat with great
jumps. What If she couldn't stop at
all? In that case, first or last, she
should smash into something-and
then.
She wished she had not touched the
boat; she might have known she
couldn't do it. The wind seemed TO
roar in her ears; the runners. in their
increased speed, had taken on sort
of screech. 1t was dreadful.
What was that zigzag dark line
ahead? A crack Not big one Not
so big. she thought, but that the boat
would slide over it.
There was a sudden crash, lurch.
Edna felt her hand jerked from the
rudder, the breath jerked from her
body, and for a bewilderd moment
she half believed her head had been
jerlied off her shoulders She felt her.
self thrown with mighty strength,
which carried her along the ice at
swift speed for several rods.
She had a confused fear that she
should never stop; but at last she did,
and she slowly sat up. Her first con-
viction was that all her bones were
broken; her next, that certainly the
side of her on which she had slidden
was sore. And her third. that down
the distant bank were two figures com
ing on run-Gilbert and sgd.
She got to her feet in hurry. A |
long way off lay the ice boat, with |
her bowsprit stuck fast where it had
struck in the jagged edge of the crack;
it being crack of no mean size. And |
Edna was still standing there and
staring at it. and rubbing her bruised |
elbow, when the boys came racing and |
striding across the ice. But she was
ready for them; she stood up straight
81 don't think it's broken!" she
called out.
"Are you broken?" sgd shouted back,
that's the question:" And they be-
gan to talk together.
1--WE saw you" said Gilbert.
I'VE knew it must be you" said sgd.
though we couldn't believe it,"
THAT crack! Goodness, why didn't
you stop her? You went sliding off her
and over the ice like bird! Are you
hurt? No? Sure?"
"Sure!" said Edna. and then they
all burst out laughing.
Say, what did you do 1t for?" said
sgd. Where were you trying to get
to. anyhow"
"To the Corletts'," said Edna, with
lifted chin. 81 was invited. but you
went off without me, and thought I'd |