Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-17

rose TO his feet.
Il say. fellows, / believe the wind has
changed" he shouted.
The others got up and all turned
their faces toward the direction of the
wind Sure enough, instead of blowing
from the southwest, il seemed to have
shifted to the southeast.
If this keeps up, it may blow us
ashore" Seneca said. -"I'n tell you
what. let's 60. Let's. make a sail and
help our craft along"
How'll we do it?" Sidney asked.
I'm show you. Intuition your over
coats. Now, Bobby. you stand on one
side of me, and, Sidney, you stand on
the other. Now button your coat TO
mine, same as I'm doing to Bobby's,"
and Seneca, suiting action to word, but
toned the buttonhole side of his over
coat to the button side of Bobby's.
When Sidney had done the same TO
Seneca's the three overcoats were joined
together, and when the boys stood as
wide apart as the coats permitted, with
their backs TO the wind, quite surface
was presented for the,Swind TO blow
against.
You'd better wrap the other sides
OF your overcoats around you, and then
you won't feel the cold so.much," Sem
eca said.
With his own ovrecoat spread wide
apart, he was exposed to the cold. He
had taken the center position for that
reason; so that the others might get
come protection, even if heacoudn't.
The strong wind was inclined to blow
them across the smooth floor of the ice
raft, but by, digging their heels into
the ice they could retain their places.
They soon noticed that they were be-
ing borne along in northwesterly di-
rection. They did not move rapidly,
but still were making Roadway, and
their spirits rose at the success of their
scheme
They drifted along in this manner
for about an hour, when their piece of
ice floated up against another to the
west of it
BY this time the wind had blown the
clouds away, and the moon was shining
brightly Seneca looked at his watch
and saw that it was just midnight.
The ice foe against which they had
fioated seemed to have drifted up
against others west of 1t, and the boys
decided they had better leave the one
they were cnyand make their way as far
toward shore,as they could ON the float
ing cakes By jumping from one cake
TO another, they succeeded I'm getting a
hundred yards nearer shore, and then
they came to another channel Df water.
On one of the cakes they had crossed
the boys had noticed plank frozen into
the ice. Into the brain of the mesource-
fnl Seneca there now came an idea, and
hevwent back toget the plank Wrench
ing il loose from the ice, he returned TO
the. Others
Now we're going ashore on a pro-
pelher instead soz. on n sailbozr!" he
cried
Pushing the piece they were ON away,
from the cakes that had drifted against
IL Seneca proceeded to cut a V in the
edgedof the ice with his skate Into the
rude socket thus formed he rested the
edge of the plank and began working it
backward and forward, the way about
is sometimes propelled with a single
paddle. With Sidney on one side and
Senecaion the other; they could work
1t quite vigorously, sand they were,de-
lighted'to see what good progress they
now made with theiruuwieldly craft.
By the end of another half hour they
had crossed the channel and fioa,ed a,p
against sSlarge ice Aeld.
II behave it's the nain iceI'' cried
Seneca aslhe jumped up and down on 1t
to test it
The boys clapped on stheir skates and
'sped toward the shore. 1t proved to be
the firm fee they were ren, and in ten
minutes they were standing on the
shore not far from the Marine hospital
They we've in high spirits now, az
they trudged toward home. When
about two O'clock they appeared at
their homes, anxious hearts were re-
licked and there was little. disposition
to scold them dor venturinsntoo far out
on the ice.
B1t honest Seneca said TO 1fss mother:
Mother, guess you ought. 10 punish
me in some way. I'm to blame. The
others wouldn't thave gone no far IL /
hadn't'-Ledger Monthly.