CHAPTER III
A RUNAWAY
"All aboard!"
"Don't forget your baggage!"
"This way for your tickets!"
"The ice-boat _Bird_ makes no stops this side of the lake! All aboard!"
Bert Bobbsey and Tommy Todd thus were calling at the end of one of thelumberyard docks one day about a week after Nan had seen her brotherbuilding the ice-boat. Coming down the dock were Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey,with Nan, Flossie and Freddie. Snap, the big dog, was bounding on aheadthrough the snow, barking joyously. He enjoyed fun as much as any one.
"All aboard! Please hurry up!" cried Bert.
"Why, I thought this was a _special_ trip you were giving us, and wedidn't have to hurry," laughed his mother.
"It is," Bert said. "But you see you can't sail an ice-boat if you haven'tany wind, and I want you to have a ride before the wind dies away, as itmight. So come on, get on board!"
"I want to steer!" cried Freddie.
"No, you must not," said Nan.
"Yes, I must. I know how to steer a motor boat, and I can steer anice-boat, I guess," and Freddie was very sure about it.
"After a while, maybe," agreed Bert. "But an ice-boat is different tosteer from a motor boat. I'll show you how, though."
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey got on the little platform which Bert had built as asort of open cabin. It had old carpets and rugs on it, and there wereblankets and robes to keep the passengers warm. After some failures Bertand Tommy had finally managed to finish the ice-boat. It was not as easyto build as they had expected, but Mr. Bobbsey's carpenter had helpedthem.
The boat had been tried out on the ice, and had sailed well. Mr. Bobbseyhad Mr. Watson look at it, and that gentleman had said it was safe to ridein. Then Bert had finally gotten his father and mother to promise to takea trip in the boat, bringing Nan, Flossie and Freddie with them. Mr.Bobbsey had, before this, been given a ride with Bert and Tommy, so heknew the two boys could manage the boat fairly well. Tommy and Bert hadhad several rides by themselves. Now they had company.
"Are you all ready?" asked Bert, after he had seen his father and mother,his sisters and brother, get on board the _Bird_.
"All ready," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "Don't go too fast at first, and takeyour mother's breath away."
"I won't!" promised Bert. "Are those two little ones covered up allright?" he asked, nodding toward Flossie and Freddie.
"Yep! We're as warm as--as popcorn!" cried Flossie.
"With butter on!" added Freddie.
"Well, you certainly ought to be good and warm," laughed Mrs. Bobbsey, asshe tucked the robes closer around the two smaller twins.
"All aboard!" called Bert, and then, moving slowly at first, the ice-boatglided away from the lumber wharf, skimming over the lake with the entireBobbsey family, not counting, of course, fat Dinah and her husband, whostayed at home. Nor was Snoop, the black cat, along. Snap, the dog, ran alittle way, but when he found the ice-boat was going too fast for him, andwhen he noticed that he was slipping too much, he gave a sort of good-byehowl and went slowly back to shore.
"Isn't this great?" cried Bert, as he steered the ice-boat out into themiddle of the lake.
"Wonderful!" cried Nan, her hair flying in the wind and her cheeks almostas red as roses. "I don't see how you made it, Bert."
"Well, it wasn't easy. How do you like it, Freddie?"
"All right. When can I steer?"
"Oh, maybe after a while," said Bert, with a laugh. "Say, we're goingfast, all right."
"Yes," agreed Mr. Bobbsey. "I think the wind is getting stronger insteadof dying out, Bert."
"It does seem so. Well, all the better. We won't have to walk back if itkeeps on this way. We can sail to the end of the lake and ride back."
"Are you sure you can manage the boat yourself?" asked Bert's father, "Sheseems pretty big."
"Oh, Tommy and I sailed her in a stronger wind than this. And we have aheavier load on now, which makes it all the safer."
Mr. Bobbsey himself knew how to sail an ice-boat, but he wanted to letBert do as much alone as he could, for this is a good way for a boy tolearn, if there is not too much danger.
"And the worst that can happen," said Mr. Bobbsey, in a whisper to hiswife, "is that we may upset and spill out."
"Oh! But do you really think there is any danger of _that?_"
"Well, there may be. Ice-boats often upset, but we can't fall very far,"and he looked down at the ice, which was only a few inches below them."And we have so many robes and blankets that falling would be liketumbling into bed. There is no danger."
The wind was blowing harder and harder. It was sweeping right across thelake and forcing the boat down. The steel runners clinked on the ice, nowand then scraping up a shower of icy splinters that sparkled in the sun.On the other side of the lake were other ice-boats, and Bert wished hecould have a race with some of them. But he knew his mother would not likethat now.
"Can't you make it go a little slower?" asked Flossie, after a bit. "Everytime I open my mouth it gets filled with cold air, and it makes me want tosneeze."
"I can't go any slower than the wind blows," answered Bert. "Turn yourback to the bow, or front end of the boat, and you can open your moutheasier then."
Flossie did as she was told and felt better. Meanwhile the _Bird_ wasliving up to her name, and skimming along swiftly. Bert held to thesteering handle, now and then tightening or loosening the rope that wasfast to the sail.
"Want any help?" asked his father.
"No, thank you, Dad. I want to manage it all by myself as long as I can."
"Isn't it my turn to steer?" asked Freddie, when they were half-way downthe lake, toward the end farthest from the town, where there were deepwoods on either side.
"No, not yet!" exclaimed Bert "Don't touch anything, Freddie!" he went on,for his little brother was reaching out toward the sail. "I'll have towait until the wind doesn't blow so strong before I can let your steer,Freddie."
"But I want to steer when we're going _fast!_" cried the little fellow. "Iknow how to do it. You just----"
Freddie never finished what he was saying. Whether he touched anything, orwhether Bert was afraid he would, and so pulled on the wrong rope to keepit out of Freddie's way, was never known.
Suddenly the ice-boat gave a quick whirl to one side, like a boy or a girlon roller skates going around a corner. It went around so quickly that ittipped half-way over. Mrs. Bobbsey and Nan screamed. Mr. Bobbsey called toBert to be careful, but it was too late. Bert had lost his hold of therudder and the sail rope.
The next second Bert shot out of the ice-boat, and slid along on his back.A moment later his father and mother were also spilled out, followed byNan. Then the ice-boat, not having such a heavy load aboard, settled downon the ice again, and started to run away, or, rather, blow away.
Right before the wind it flew, and Flossie and Freddie, being well tuckedin among the robes and blankets were not spilled out. They stayed onboard; and Mr. Bobbsey, sitting up after he had slid some distance acrossthe ice, saw the _Bird_ scooting down the lake, carrying his two smallertwins with it.
"Oh, the ice-boat is running away with Flossie and Freddie!" cried Nan, asshe, too, saw what had happened.