When they reached it, Hal wondered how they could ever get any fish,as the water was covered with a thick sheet of ice. But Daddy Blakechopped several holes in the frozen surface, so Hal and Mab could seethe dark water underneath. The holes however, were not large enoughfor the children to fall through.
"Now we'll fish through the ice!" said Daddy Blake.
"Oh, I see how it's done!" exclaimed Hal with a laugh.
CHAPTER VII
LEARNING TO SKATE
"Now we'll bait our hooks," said Mr. Blake, when he had put the lunch,which they had brought along, safely away in a sheltered place. "Andafter that we will have a little skate practice to get warmed up, forit is colder than I thought."
"But if we bait our hooks, and leave them in the water, won't the fishrun away with our lines if we are not here to watch them?" asked Mab.
"We'll fix the lines so the fish that bite will ring a little bell, totell us to come and take them off the hook!" replied Daddy Blake witha laugh.
"Oh, now I know you're fooling us!" said Hal.
"No, really I am not," replied his father, but Mr. Blake could notkeep the funny twinkle out of his eyes, and Hal was sure there wassome joke.
From a small satchel, in which he had put the things for fishing, Mr.Blake took several pieces of wire. On the ends were some bits ofred cloth, and also, on each wire, a little brass bell, that went"tinkle-tinkle."
"Oh, they are really bells!" cried Mab, as she heard them jingle.
"Of course they are" said her father. "Now I'll tell you what we'lldo. We'll bait our hook, and lower it into the water through a hole inthe ice. Then, close to the hole, we'll fasten one of these pieces ofwire each one of which has, on the upper end, a bell and a bit of redcloth.
"When the wires are stuck in the ice we'll fasten our lines to them,and then, when the fish, down in the cold water, pulls on the baitedhook he will make the piece of red cloth flutter, and he will alsoring the bell."
"Oh, now I see!" cried Hal. "And if we are off skating we can lookover here, and if we see the red rag fluttering we'll know we have abite, and can come and pull up the fish."
"That's it," said Daddy Blake, smiling.
"And if we don't happen to see the red rag fluttering, we will hearthe bell ring," added Mab, clapping her hands. "How nice it is to fishthis way!"
The hooks were soon baited, and lowered into the water through theholes in the ice Then the other end of each fish line was made fastto a wire sticking up, with its bit of red rag, and the little brassbell.
"Now we'll go skating," said Daddy Blake. "The fish themselves willtell us when they are caught. Come along."
Hal and Mab had, by this time, learned to put on their own skates,though of course Hal helped his sister with the straps.
"You must begin to learn to skate by yourselves," said Daddy Blake,after he had held the hands of the children for a time. "Don't beafraid, strike out for yourselves."
"But s'pose we fall?" asked Mab.
"That won't hurt you very much," her father said. "Be careful, ofcourse, not to double your legs up under you, and when you tumbledon't hit your head on your own skates, or any one's else. But whenyou feel that you are going to fall, just let yourself go naturally.If you strain, and try not to fall, you may sprain and hurt yourselfmore than if you fall easily. Now strike out!"
Hal and Mab tried it. At first they were timid, and only took littlestrokes, but, after a while, they grew bolder, and did very well. Theywere really learning to skate.
"Oh, look!" suddenly cried Hal. "My red rag is bobbing; I must have abite!"
He started in such a hurry toward the ice-hole where his line was setthat he fell down. But he did not mind that, and was soon up again.However, Mab, who did not stumble, teached her line first.
"Oh dear! I haven't a bite!" she sighed, for her bell was notjingling.
"But I have!" cried Hal, pulling his line in. "A big one, too!"
"I'll help you," said Daddy Blake, as he skated up to his little son,and when Daddy had felt of the tugging line he remarked:
"Yes, that is a large fish! Up he comes!" And he pulled up Hal's fish.
Just as the big, flopping pickerel was hauled out on the ice, Mabcried:
"My bell is tinkling! My bell is tinkling! I've got a fish, too!" Andindeed her piece of wire was moving to and fro where it was stuck upin the ice, and the bell was jingling merrily.
"Wait, Mab, I'll help you!" called Daddy Blake, and, leaving Hal totake care of his own fish, the children's papa went to pull in Mab'scatch.
Her fish was not quite as large as was Hal's, but it was a very niceone. Then Mr. Blake called out:
"Oh ho! Now there's a bite on my line!"
His bell jingled quite loudly, and when the string was pulled upthrough the hole there was a fine, large pickerel on the hook. Thefish were placed in a basket to be taken home, after having beenmercifully put out of pain by a blow on the head. Then the hooks werebaited again.
In a little while each one had caught another fish and then DaddyBlake said:
"Now we have all the fish we can use, so there is no need of catchingany more. We will practice our skating a little longer, and then gohome. For I am sure you children must be cold."
"Oh, but aren't we going to eat the lunch we brought, before we gohome?" cried Hal.
"I was just wondering if you would think of that!" laughed DaddyBlake. "Yes, we will eat lunch as soon as we get a little warm byskating around, or by running."
CHAPTER VIII
THE SKATING RACE
Daddy Blake and the two children glided to and fro over the ice of thefrozen lake on their sharp steel skates. Soon all their cheeks werered and rosy, and they felt as warm inside as though they had takensome hot chocolate at the corner drug store.
"Daddy," asked Hal, "what makes you warm when you run fast, or skate?"
"It is because your heart pumps so much more blood up inside yourbody," explained Daddy Blake. "Our blood is just the same to ourbodies as coal is to a steam engine. The more coal the fireman putsunder the boiler (that is if it all burn well, and there is a gooddraft) the hotter the fire is, and the more steam there is made."
"Is our blood like steam?" asked Mab, as she tried to peep down ather red nose and cheeks. But she could not see them very well so shelooked at Hal's.
"Well, our blood is something like steam," said Daddy Blake, with alaugh. "That is if we didn't have any blood we could not move around,and live and breathe, any more than an engine could move if it had nosteam.
"You see we eat food, which is fuel, or, just what coal and wood areto an engine. The food is changed into blood inside our bodies, andour heart pumps this blood through our arteries, which are like steampipes. Our heart is really a pump, you know; a very wonderful pump."
"My heart is pumping hard," said Hal, putting his hand over histhumping chest.
"Well," went on his father, "the reason for that is, that when we run,or skate fast, our body uses more blood, just as an engine which isgoing fast uses more steam than one going slowly. The heart has topump faster to send more blood to our arms and legs, and all over, andwhenever anything goes fast, it is warmer than when it goes slowly.
"If you rub your finger slowly over the window-pane, your finger will_not_ be very warm, but if you rub it back and forth as _fast_ as youcan, your finger-tip will soon be almost warm enough to burn you.
"That is something like what happens when you run quickly. The bloodgoes through your body so much faster, and your heart beats so muchharder, trying to keep up, that you are soon warm. And it is a goodthing to exercise that way, for it makes the blood move faster, andthus by using up the old blood, you make room for new, and fresh.
"But I guess we've had enough talk about our hearts now," spoke DaddyBlake with a laugh. "We'll eat some lunch and then take home ourfish."
Daddy Blake built a little fire on the shore, near the frozen lake,and over this blaze, when the flames were leaping up, and cracking, heheated th
e chocolate he had brought. Then it was poured out into cups,and nice chicken sandwiches were passed on little wooden plates.
"Isn't this fun!" cried Mab as she sipped the last of her chocolate.
"Indeed it is," agreed Hal. "I'm coming skating over to this lakeevery day!"
"Well, I guess not every day," spoke Daddy Blake with a smile. "Butwe'll come as often as we can, for I want you to learn to be goodskaters. And besides, there may be snow soon, and that will spoil theice for us."
"Oh, I hope it doesn't snow for a long time," sighed Mab.
"So do I!" echoed her brother. "But, if it does, we can have someother fun. Daddy will take us coasting; won't you?"
"I guess so," answered Mr. Blake.
The lunch things were packed in the basket, and then Hal and Mab wentback to where the pickerel fish they had caught were left lying on theice.
"Why, they're frozen stiff!" Hal cried, as he picked up one fish,which was like a stick of wood.
"That shows you how cold it is," said Mr. Blake. "But mamma can thawout the fish by putting them in water, and we can have them for dinnerto-morrow."
"When are we coming skating again?" asked Hal as they were on theirway home.
"Oh, in a few days," his father promised. "Meanwhile you and Mab canpractice on the pond near home, and then you can have a race."
"Oh, good!" cried Mab. "And I'll win!"
"Huh! I guess not!" exclaimed Hal. "Boys always win races; don't they,Daddy."
"Well, not always," said Mr. Blake. "And Mab is becoming a good littleskater."
"Well, I'll win!" declared Hal. "You see if I don't!"
The next day was too cold for the children to go skating withtheir Daddy, but a little later in the week it was warmer, and oneafternoon, coming home early from the office Mr. Blake said:
"Come on now. I hear you two youngsters have been practicing skatingon the pond, so we'll go over there and have a race."
"Hurray!" cried Hal.
"Oh, I do hope I win!" exclaimed Mab.
There were not many other skaters on the ice when the children andtheir father reached it Mr. Blake marked off a place, by drawing twolines on the ice with his skate. The space between them was about aslong as from the Blake's front gate to their back fence.
"Now, Hal and Mab," said Daddy Blake, "take your places on this firstline. And when I call 'Go!' start off. The one who reaches the otherline first will win."
Hal and Mab took their places. They were so eager to start that theystepped over the line, before it was time.
"Go back," said Daddy Blake, smiling. Finally they were both evenly onthe line. The other skaters came up to watch.
"Go!" suddenly cried Daddy Blake.
CHAPTER IX
A WINTER PIC-NIC
Hal and Mab started off on their race so evenly that neither one wasahead of the other. The two children had learned to skate farily wellby this time, though of course they could not go very far, nor veryfast. And they could not cut any "fancy figures" on the ice such asdoing the "grape-vine twist," or others like that.
"I--I--I think I'm going to win," said Mab as she skated along besideher brother.
"You'd better--better not talk," Hal panted. "That takes your breath,and it's hard enough to breathe anyhow, when you're skating fast,without talking."
"You're talking," said Mab.
"But I'm not going to talk any more," Hal answered, and he closed hislips tightly.
On and on they skated, side by side.
"Oh, Hal's going to win!" cried some of the children who had gatheredaround to watch.
"No, Mab is!" shouted a number of little girls who were her friends."Mab will win!"
Sometimes Mab would be in the lead, and then Hal would come up with arush and pass her.
It was not very far to the "finish line," as the end of the race iscalled.
"Oh, I do hope I get there first!" thought Mab, her little heartbeating very fast.
"I hope I win!" thought Hal.
And that is always the way it is in races--each one wants to be first.That is very right and proper, for it is a good thing to try and befirst, or best, in everything we do. Only we must do it fairly, andnot be mean, or try to get in the way of anyone else. And, if we don'twin, after we have done our best, why we must try and be cheerfulabout it. And never forget to say to the one who has come out ahead:
"Well, I am sorry I lost, but I am glad you won."
That is being polite, or, as the big folks say; when they have races,that is being "sportsman-like," and that that is the finest thing inthe world--to be really "sportsman-like" at all times.
"Go on! Go on!" cried Daddy Blake. "Don't stop, children! Finish outthe race!"
But Hal and Mab were getting a little tired now, though the race wassuch a short one. Gradually Hal was skating ahead.
"Oh dear! He's going to win!" thought Mab, but, just then, all of asudden, Hal's skate glided over a twig on the ice, and down he went."Ker-bunk-o!"
Before Mab could stop herself she had slid over the finish line.
"Oh, Mab wins! Mab has won the race!" cried her girl friends.
Poor Hal, who was not much hurt, I am glad to say, got up. He lookedsorrowfully at his sister who had gone ahead of him, when he stumbled.He did want so much to win!
But Mab was a real "sportswoman," for there are such you know--evenlittle girls.
"Hal, I didn't win!" she exclaimed, skating back to her brother, "Itisn't a fair race when some one falls; is it Daddy?"
"Well, perhaps in a real big race they would count it, even if some ofthe skaters fell," he said. "But this time you need not count--"
"Well, I'm not going to count this!" interrupted Mab. "I don't want towin the race that way. Come on, Hal. We won't count this, and we'llrace over again!"
Now I call that real good of Mab. Don't you?
Hal looked happy again. He didn't even mind the bruise on his knee,where it had hit on the ice.
"Well, I'd be glad to race over again," Hal said. "Next time I won'tfall."
"Very well, race over once more," said Daddy Blake.
So Hal and Mab did, and this time, after some hard skating, Halcrossed the finish line a little ahead of his sister. Poor Mab triednot to look sad but she could not help it.
"You--you won the race, Hal," she said.
"Well, maybe I got started a little ahead of you," he replied kindly."Anyhow, I'm older and of course I'm stronger. Oughtn't I give her ahead-start, Daddy?"
"I think it would be more fair, perhaps," said Daddy Blake with asmile. He was glad his children were so thoughtful.
"Then let's race again," suggested Hal.
"Oh, hurrah!" cried all the other children. "Another race! That'sthree!"
This time Hal let Mab start off a little ahead of him, when Mr. Blakecalled "Go!" This "head-start," as we used to call it when I was aboy, is called a "handicap" by the big folk, but you don't need to usethat big word, unless you care to.
"Oh, Mab is going to win! Mab is going to win!" shouted the children.And she did. She crossed the line ahead of Hal. And Oh! how glad shewas.
"Now we've each won a race!" cried Hal, as he helped his sister takeoff her skates.
A few days after that Daddy Blake asked the children:
"How would you like to go on a winter picnic?"
"A winter pic-nic!" cried Hal. "What is that?"
"Why we'll take our skates, and a basket of lunch, and go over to thebig lake. We'll have a long skate, and at noon we'll eat our lunchin a log cabin I know of on the shores of the lake. That will be ourwinter pic-nic."
"Oh, how fine!" cried Mab. "When may we go?"
"To-morrow," answered Daddy Blake.
"Oh, I'm sure something will happen!" cried Aunt Lolly.
And something did, but it was something nice, and soon you will knowall about it.
CHAPTER X
CUTTING THE ICE
Hal and Mab Blake were awake very early the next morning. Mab jumpedout of be
d first and ran to the window.
"Is it raining?" asked Hal, from his room. He put one foot out fromunder the covers to see how cold it was--I mean he wanted to see howcold the air in his room was--not how cold his foot was; for that waswarm, from having been asleep in bed with him all night.
"No, it isn't raining," said Mab, "but it looks as if it might snow."
"I hope it doesn't snow until we have our pic-nic on the ice,"exclaimed Hal, as he jumped out of bed, and began to dress.
Mamma Blake was very busy cooking breakfast, and so was Aunt Lolly.They had to get the meal and also put up the lunch for the printerpic-nic. A large basket was packed full of good things to eat. I justwish I had some of them now, I'm so hungry!
"Well, are you all ready?" asked Mr. Blake of the children, afterbreakfast.
"I am, Daddy," answered Hal, pulling on his red mittens, and swinginghis skates by a strap over his shoulder. "I'm all ready."
"And so am I," replied Mab, as she tied her cap strings under herchin, so it would not blow away--I mean so the cap would not blowaway, not Mab's chin; for that was made fast to her face, you see, andcouldn't blow off, no matter how much wind whistled down the chimney.
"Well, then we'll start," said Daddy Blake. Just then there came aring at the front door bell, and into the hall tramped Charlie andMary Johnson, who lived next door to the Blake family. The visitorswere warmly dressed, and Charlie had two pairs of skates slung overhis shoulder by the straps.