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

HE wind had been blowing briskiy
from the southwest all the after
ssoon, and il had been great sport skst-
ing before it. The three hoys had ,uD-
buttoned their overcoats and spread
them with wide extended arms so as
80 catch the wind and be borne along
still faster Thus assisted. they had
skinned oyer the smooth Zee of Lake
Michigan with comparatively LITTLE eff
fort Boylike, they.-had gfven little
thought to the trip back, not Iezsbzing
in the keen enjoyment of flying before
,fhe wind how much labor there would
be in working against it. when they
finally turned to retrace their way,
they, were surprised to SEQ how far
they bad come. All the other skaters
bad been left far behind. The nearest
:.ones looked scarcely mere than specks
in, the distance. The white, sent-like
roof of the children's >ssnitarium in
lincoln park looked small and surpris-
ingly far away. The sun had sunk be-
hind q mass OF leaden olouds, and the
long, low, stretch of the park with Its
leafiess trees looked dafirEand gloomy.
Who'd suppose we'dccome, 80 far?"
painted Robby, "a he battled mscnfuny
against the wind, making strenuous cf-
ferts to keep up with Sidney and Ser
..eca.
."I didn,t.suppose we'A s~--s AHif so
3.r~ s;dnev an.-~red. I'VE must
h.v. come f.r miles; don!tyeu think
Seneca nodded. He looked at ,Robby.
land saw. that he was having a, hard
struggle.
ST say, fellows" he said, 'I guess we'd
better not try to skate back to the park.
The yyvipdll be right in our faces ali
the way. The thing for JUS to do Is to
make for, the shore farther north. Its
not quite so far, and the wind wont be
30 dead against. Us. Here, Bobby. give
me ypar hand; well skate together,"
and Seneca, who, was Is and big and
strongrfor his age. seized Bobby'x hand
and strsack out for the shore diractly
weat.
II was later thAn,they had supposed,
and the gathering. dusk warned them
that nightwyas near. The leaden clouds
now covered ithe whole sky, and to add
20 the gioo1,, 1T began to snow. In q
lew minutes they could no longer see
the shore, bseaase of the whirling |
xnowhskes. Bnt by keeping their left |
cheeks turned steward the wind. they
could tell prsttywell the direction they
wanted to go In. They, did not talk
much. for talking wasted their breath. |
and they needed Il all IN, their struprls
against the wind. The snow fell fast
and thick, and the wind drove Il in Ut |
tie swirling clouds over the ice. Soon
~ encompassed them like a wal.
fhrough which they could see only
fs~ rods. 1t was now rapidly growing
dark
Once Seneca said:
Pm afraid it'n be late when we get
nome. L hope mother. won't worry"
Then they skated on. in silence once
more. Though they dfd not now have
the wind directly against them, prog
ress was slow. As It grew darker IL
seemed to them as II they were heing
shut In by world Of silence and gloom.
far from shat world in which lay rho
great, crowded city few miles away.
But they kept up stout hearts and
eattled bravely against the wind. Gen.
,eca stin 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 aheadi"
Sure enough, through the falling
fakes there shVne dimly light in front
OF themo but how far IL was they could
only conjecture. The sight of It oheered
them up and they pressed forward to-
ward 1t with lighter hearts.
Suddenly Seneca shouted:
Look outl Look Quit" at the same
moment striking his skate-heels sharp
" into the i=e, and pulling Bobby back.
Directly In frons of them was a wide
opening in the ice. Fortunately, they
were not going very fast, owing to the
'siDd, and they managed to stop, though
not ell they had reached the very brink
pf the wafer. Sidney, who was little
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