Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-08
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE LITTLE SKATERS.

Tommy and Willie Bickford, aged re-
spectively eight and six years. Taklns
their skateS-Willie had but one-they
sailed forth, and, reaching the Ice,
Tommy put on his two skates, Willie
put ON his one, and they proceeded TO
have good time. And they had good
time. The nipping air was full of ozone,
and there was about an acre of ice that
was as smooth as glass. Tommy couid
skate pretty well If he skated straight
ahead, but he insisted on cutting "fub-
dubs,' as he called them-Tommy's
flubdubS were a figure eight and the
Dutch ROLAND he was continually sit
ting down and pointing his toes to the
sky. AS for his little brother, having
only one skate and not knowing how TO
skate anyway, he bore the weight OF
his little body ON the foot without the
skate and hoped along, occasionally
lifting the sole of his shoe from the ice
and gliding half dozen yards on his
one skate.
The boys were so happy that they
took no note of time. Just before sun
set Tommy noticed a large cake or
floating ice lodge just above them.
going to have skate on that big cake"
And he started off, skating at his best
speed. But Willie, ignoring his instruc-
tons, hoped along after him ON his
one skate, and after Tommy had skat-
ed to the farther side of the newly ar
rived cake he turned and saw his little
brother just coming on to 1t. A Few
minutes later, looking toward the
shore, he noticed that the ice was NOV
ing.
Tommy was not very old, but he
knew enough to understand the dan
ger He made his skates fly toward his
brother, motioning him TO 60 back, but
it was too late. The cake parted from
the firm ice, and before Tommy reach
ed his brother there was an impossible
gap of water between the two edges.
The boys were a1oat on an ice cake
on broad river, darkness coming on
and the cold increasing every minute.
There We're but few boats passing, and
they met none of these till 1t was too
dark for them to be discovered. Willie,
becoming cold, began to cry, but Tom
my, feeling the responsibility of having
his little brother to care for, kept
sturdy heart and. going to the edge OF
the ice endeavored TO attract attention
When he found that his efforts were
useless he went back to Willie and,
folding him in his arms, tried to keep
him warm.
The moon came up slightly pass the
full and lighted up the bay into which
the river broadened. An incoming
steamer was making its way inward
when the officer on the bridge called
for his night glass. Holt, see dark
spot ON that ice cake" he said to the
man who handed him the glass, and.
leveling it, he brought it to bear on the
center of the cake. Then, lowering it,
with horror on his face, he added:
Great heavens, There are two chill
dren on that cake of ice" Holt seized
the glass, put it to his eye for n mo-
ment, then dashed away, shouting,
Lower the cutter!'
Here, you, SimcoX," he cried when
the boat was lowered, take the tillerr'
Simcox took the tiller as ordered, and
Holt, a fine looking, muscular man,
seized the stroke oar. The crew pulled
away, but they had all been overwork-
ed on hard winter passage from Gil
braltar, and the tide was running out
swiftly. They had pulled a few min
utes when Holt noticed that they were
making very poor Roadway. He had
been away from his children for more
than Il year and connected them in his
mind with the two on the ice cake
either frozen or to be frozen IL not
rescued.
"Ill give every man of you," he said,
"a months extra wages if we reach the
little ones and get them dead or alive"
Every oarsman bent to his work, and
by dint Of almost superhuman effort
managed to pull the boat against the
tide, which fortunately was slowly car
rying the cake down stream, but unfor-
nately they were not in it's line and
were obliged to pull diagonally This
Is why they must stem the tide.
They had a hard tussle, but at last
made the edge of the ice cake. Holt
and Simcox both jumped from the boat
and ran to the center, where the chill
dren were lying perfectly quiet, the
older holding the younger in his arms.
Both were asleep.
They're deadw said Simcox.
But Holt, taking them up, gave them
q vigorous shake, and both opened
their eyes. He told Simcox to alter
nately shake and rub them, while he
took flask of diluted liquor from his
pocket that he had brought for the pur-
pose and poured some of it down the
boys threats. Tommy revived quickly,
but Willie, who had been asleep longer,
was pretty far gone. Holt unbuttoned
his own clothing and, holding the child
near to his warm flesh, wrapped his
clothes about him.
1t was o'clock in the morning when
Holt drove up in a carriage with the
two boys to their home. The house
was lighted, for there was no sleep for
the inmates. All the parents knew
was that their boys skates were miss
ing, and 1t was surmised that they had
gone skating. The only further ex-
PLANTATION was that they had been
drowned. The disconsolate pair were