Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-03-22
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AdTift on the Ice
BY James Raymond Perry.
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TIL wind had been blowing brlskiy
from the southwest all the after
noon. and it had been great sport skat-
inc before it. The three boys had IN
bnttoned their overcoats and spread
them with wide extended arms, so as
70 catch the wind and be borne along
still faster Thus assisted, they had
skinned over the smooth ice OF Lake
Michigan with comparatively little Ell
fort. Boylike, they had given little
thought to the trip back, not reailzlng
in the keen enjoyment Of flying before
the wind how much labor there wouio
be in working against it. When they
finally turned to retrace their way
they were surprised to see how lar
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-hke
roof of the children's sanitarium IN
Lincoln park looked small and surprls-
inolv far away. The sun had sunk be-
hind a mass of leaden clouds, ana the
long low stretch Of the park with its
leaAess trees looked dark and gloomy
who'd suppose we'd come so far?
painted Robby, as he battled man1uiiy
AGAINST the wind, making strenuous Ell
forts to keep up with Sidney and Sen
eca.
u didn't suppose we'd come half so
far" Sidney answered. I'VE must
have come four miles; don't you thlnA
so, Seneca"
Seneca nodded. He looked at Bobby,
and saw that he was having hard
struggle -.
81 say. fellows" he said, 81 guess we q
better not try to skate back to the park.
The wind1l be right in our faces al
the way. The thing for us to DO is 10
make for the shore farther north. IT
not ouite so far, and the wind won't be
50 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.
It 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 ado
70 the gloom, it began to snow. In t.
few minutes they could no longer see
the shore, because of the whirling
srowfakes. But by keeping their left
checks turned toward the wind, they
could tell pretty well the direction they
wanted to 90 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 fas'
and thick, and the wind drove it in LIT
tie swirling clouds over the ice. Sool
II encompassed them like wal
through which they could see only
few rods. It was now rapidly growing
dark.
; Once Senesa said:
I'm afraid tin be late when we &c
j home. 1 hope mother won't worry"
Then they skated on in silence one
p more. Though they did not now haH
: the wind directly against them, prog
rpss was slow. AS it grew darker
seemed to them as if they were bein
= shut in by a world of silence and gloon
: far from that world in which lag tn
Is great. crowded city few miles away.
= But they kept up stout hearts an
battled bravely against the wind. Ser
eca still held onto Bobby's hand an
belDed him forward. Presently tn
{ snow began to fall less thickly, an
Sidney called out:
81 think see \ light ahead!"
I Sure enough, through the fallin
a fakes there shone dimly light in fror
of them, but how far it was they coui
only conjecture. The sight of it cheere
" thea up ana tney pressed forward u
lc wa7& it with lighter hearts.
T. Suddenly Seneca shouted:
Look out! Look out!" at the san
moment striking his skate-heels shar
" into the ice, and pulling Bobby bac
E. Directly in front of them was WIG
3 opening in the ice. Fortunately, the
were not going very fast, owing to II
p wind, and they managed to stop, thong
e. not till they had reached the very brir
Sc of the water. Sidney, who was a lit
behind and saw the water at the san
. moment Seneca did, turned sharply al
", thus avoided skating into it. North al
IT, south. as far as they could see in t
in darkness, there was water in front
them. A section of the ice had brok'
- of, and in the strong wind had drift
h away from the main body. 1t had n
% drifted very far yet, for across the da
water they could see the white ice
II. You'd, and it appeared not to be mo
n than 20 yards distant.
Is Lets skate south. Perhaps we
come to a narrower place, where
"a. can Jump across" Seneca said.
K. spoke chceriIy, and Bobby, whose hea
had failed him when he saw the bia
Y, water between them and the shore, Il
i. encouraged.
II Eut the farther south they skat