Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-03-22
Adrift on the. Ice
by james Raymond Perry.
II 7E7E n N 7ISSE;sIS7ISaS

n HE wind had been blowing briskly
from the southwest ali the after
noon, and it had been great sport skat-
ing before it. The three boys had IN
buttoned their overcoats and spread
them with wide extended arms. so as
to catch the wind and be borne along
still faster. Thus assisted, they had
skinned over the smooth ice of Lake
Michigan with comparatively little eff
fort. Boylike, they had given little
thought to the trip back, not realizing
in the keen enjoyment of flying before
the wind how much labor there would
be in working against it. When they
finally turned to retrace their way,
they were surprised to see how far
they had come. All the other skaters
had been left far behind. The nearest
ones looked scarcely more than specks
in the distance. The white, tent-ike
roof of the children's sanitarium in
Lincoln park looked small and surpris-
ingly far away. The sun had sunk be-
hind mass of leaden clouds, and the
long, low stretch of the park with its
leafess trees looked dark and gloomy.
.''Who'd suppose we'd come so far?"
painted Robby, as he battled manfully
against the wind, making strenuous eff
forts to keep up with Sidney and SEN
eca.
II didn't suppose we'd come half so
far" Sidney answered. 'We must
have come four miles; don't you think
SO, Seneca?"
Seneca nodded. He looked at Bobby,
and saw that he was having a hard
struggle.
II say, fellows" he said, II guess we'd
better not try to skate back to the park.
The wind'll be right in OUR faces ali
the way. The thing for us 10 do is to
make for the shore farther north. It's
not quite so far, and the wind won't be
SO dead against us. Here, Bobby, give
me your hand; We'll skate together"
and Seneca, who was 10 and big and
strong for his age, seized Bobby's hand,
and struck out for the shore directly
west.
1t was later than they had supposed,
and the gathering dusk warned them
that night was near. The leaden clouds
now covered the whole sky, and to add
to the gloom, it began to snow. In i.
few minutes they could no longer see
the shore, because of the whirling
snowfakes. But by keeping their left
cheeks turned toward the wind, they
could tell pretty well the direction they
wanted to go in. They did not talk
much, for talking wasted their breath,
and they needed it all in their struggle
against the wind. The snow fell fast
and thick, and the wind drove it in lit
tie swirling clouds over the ice. Soon
it encompassed them like a wall
through which they could see only
few rods. It was now rapidly growing
dark.
Once Seneca said:
''I'm afraid it'll be late when we get
home. I hope mother won't worry"
Then they skated on in silence once
more. Though they did not now have
the wind directly against them, prog
ress was slow. AS it grew darker it
seemed to them as if they were being
shut in by world of silence and gloom,
far from that world in which lay the
great, crowded city few miles away.
But they kept up stout hearts and
hattled bravely against the wind. Sen
eca still held onto Bobby's hand and
helped him forward. Presently the
snow began to fall less thickly, and
Sidney called out:
II think I see light ahead!"
Sure enough, through the. falling
fakes there shone dimly light in front
OF them, but how far it was they could
only conjecture. The sight of cheered
them up and they pressed forward to-
ward it with lighter hearts.
Suddenly Seneca shouted:
Look out! Look out!" at the same
moment striking his skate-heels sharp
ly :nto the ice, and pulling Bobby back.
Directly in front of them was wide
opening il the ice. Fortunately, they