Part 28 (1/2)
”Oh, don't say that!” begged Grace ”An ice jas where soof an avalanche!” declared Mollie ”Betty ether pretty soon, when the river narrows, and we can walk ashore as nicely as you please, hauling the ice boat after us”
”Why can't we go ashore in that?” asked A
”Because it will be so--humpy!” explained Betty ”We could not run the auto ice boat over the bu”
Their situation was indeed peculiarly fortunate considering what had happened The eather had softened the ice, and theof much snow had caused the river to rise This had had the effect of cracking the covering of ice, and it had broken up The ice boat got on a certain large section that split off and went floating down streaet out and see e can do,” proposed Mollie, as she left her place near the motor
”Don't you dare leave this boat!” commanded Betty, a bit sternly
”Why not?” asked Mollie, curiously
”I'll tell you why Though the cake we are on seeht separate if we stepped out on it You see our weight would come in a comparatively small space, whereas in the boat it is distributed over a large surface”
”My? Where did you learn that?” asked Mollie, adly
”In our physics class It's true, too We ?” queried Grace ”It will soon be late, and----”
”You have some chocolates; haven't you?” demanded Betty, quickly
”Yes, but----”
”Then save them We may be here for some time, but we are bound to be taken off--sooner or later”
”And if it's later, and the cake of ice goes to pieces, no et out on it or not, ill happen?” Amy wanted to know
”Well, the boat contains a lot of wood, and it will float for some time--especially this cockpit part,” said Betty ”Then, too, soet down a little further Or the boys willthat we have it out, they'll hunt for us
Especially when they see the ice breaking up”
They were slowly floating down streae and sirls felt e measure, they had come to depend on Betty and Mollie And these two justified the confidence reposed in theerly they all scanned the shore of the river, but they saw no one
”I'd even be glad to see some of the Jallows!” exclaimed Grace, after a bit ”They couldn't refuse to rescue us Oh, I do hope papa will have no further trouble with that le!”
”We'll have to straighten out our own first,” said Mollie, with a tense s nearer shore, Betty?”
Betty was about to reply, when, with a sharp report, a large piece broke off their cake of ice This left one of the runners on the forward cross-piece close to the lapping water