Part 21 (1/2)
”I' Betty
There ca and ice boating The _Spider_ had been brought to her dock again, and one pleasant afternoon, when there was a good, but not too cold or stiff a breeze, the party set off for another run It was cool and clear, with no hint of storone very far in the ice boat before they heard the approach of another behind them, and soon, to their surprise, they saw in the craft that was rapidly overco friends As they caly:
”Want a race?”
”Sure,” answered Allen, nothing loath, for he had faith in his craft
Soon the two gliders were on even terms, but it was soon seen that the rival boat carried e ahead of the _Spider_
”I'll tell the!” jeered Sa behind
”Oh, can't you beat him?” exclaimed Mollie impulsively ”Do try, Allen!”
”I will, but they have the better boat”
He manoeuvered as best he could, but it was of no use The other boat shot ahead
”Wait!” murmured Will ”I'll show them a trick next week”
CHAPTER XV
IN A TRAP
”Well, they beat us,” said Frank mournfully, as Allen calide easily over the ice, while the rival craft, its occupants visibly rejoicing, shot out of sight around a bend of the river ”They beat us good and proper”
”Yes,” agreed Will ”But I don't believe they can do it again”
”Oh, yes they can,” insisted Allen ”They've got a faster boat, there's no denying that But of course we had a hter However, I' water Those fellows handled her well, too”
”I e could have won,” sighed Mollie
”Yes, we'll never hear the last of it from Kittie and Alice,” declared Betty ”They'll crow over us every chance they get”
”Let the rather indistinctly on account of a chocolate in her mouth ”Some day you can come out, Allen--just you boys--and have another race with thereed the young lawyer, ”but I doubt it Theirs is a racer all right, and ours is built more for pleasure It's a safer boat too, the _Spider_ is Once or twice they ca a spill in wind that didn't faze us a bit I'lad we didn't have any accidents like the last ti the two upsets
”Let them wait,” remarked Willon the river”
”Oh, is papa going to let you get an ice boat?” cried Grace ”I don't care! I don't think it's fair! You get anything you want You had a new horse and----”