CHAPTER VI
GETTING INTO TRIM
Ready as the Speedwell boys were in most emergencies, here was anoccasion in which it seemed that disaster could not be averted. That isthe principal peril of iceboating; it is impossible to stop a craft,once she is under fast way, within a reasonable distance.
It was too late to drop the sail and hope to bring the_Fly-up-the-Creek_ to a halt before her nose was in the open water. Forthe instant Dan Speedwell’s heart seemed to stand still.
There flashed across his mind the remembrance of how that othericeboat—the _White Albatross_—had gone into the open river. Had he andBilly not been on the spot, as they were, Money Stevens and BarringtonSpink would doubtless have been drowned.
And here was another such accident. The iceboat flew right down to thewide channel where the moonbeams glanced upon the ripples——
But she kept right on in her flight, and to Dan’s amazement the runnersrumbled over the apparently open water with an increasing roar!
“Crickey!” shrieked Billy, turning a grin upon his brother, “didn’t youthink that was open water, Dan? I thought we were done for—I really did!And it was only the moonlight glistening upon a rough piece of ice.”
Dan’s heart resumed its regular beat; but he knew that—had it beendaylight instead of moonlight—his brother would have observed how palehe was. Seldom had his coolness been put to a keener test than at thatmoment.
“I tell you what it is,” Dan said, discussing the incident with hisbrother afterward, “iceboating is a job where a fellow has to have hishead about him all the time. And we’ve got to be especially careful ifwe take the girls riding on this thing.”
“_If_ we do!” grunted Billy. “Why, if we don’t, Mildred and Lettie willgive us no peace—you know that, Dan.”
“Just the same, we’ll not take ’em with us when there’s any sign of agale on the river. It means too much. There are too many chances iniceboating.”
During this week some of the other Riverdale boys had been busy. MonroeStevens’s _Redbird_ arrived and made a pretty show on the river neartown. Money maneuvered it about the cove and up and down the stretch ofriver near the Boat Club very nicely.
Barrington Spink had saved the mast and sail from the wreck of his oldboat and local mechanics had built for him another _White Albatross_. Ashe had plenty of money he easily obtained what he wanted, including amate to help handle the iceboat. But, as a whole, the boys and girls ofRiverdale did not quite “cotton” to the new boy.
Came Saturday, however, and there were more than a few of the OutingClub down by the river to watch the maneuvers of the iceboats. Althoughthe skating was excellent, it was neglected while the young folk watchedMoney Stevens get under way and shoot out of the cove in his _Redbird_.
The _White Albatross_ was a larger boat than Money’s and it was riggedup quite handsomely. There were cushions in the box-body, and neathand-rails. Money had taken out his sister Ella and Maybell Turner; sonow Barry wanted to inveigle some of the girls into _his_ craft.
Mildred and Lettie were waiting for the appearance of the Speedwells,but not altogether sure that they would come. The girls hadn’t had achance to speak to Dan and Billy for several days.
“Do you suppose they have finished the boat they were building?” Lettieasked the doctor’s daughter.
“When Dan promises a thing——”
“I know,” Lettie broke in, hastily. “But he isn’t infallible. And I _do_want to try iceboating. That Barry Spink hinted that he’d take me out ifI wanted to go. Here he comes now.”
Spink came forward, all smiles and costume—and the latter was really awonderful get-up for Riverdale. Most of the boys of the Outing Club werecontent to wear caps lettered “R. O. C.” and call it square. That is asnear to a uniform as many of them got.
But Barry Spink was dressed for the occasion. His outfit was somethingbetween a Canadian tobogganing costume and a hockey suit. He wore whitewool knickerbockers, gray stockings, high-laced boots, a crimson sweaterand a white “night-cap” arrangement on his head—one of those floppy,pointed caps with a tassel.
Lettie couldn’t help giggling when he approached; nevertheless shemanaged to greet him with some show of calm.
“This is my friend, Miss Kent, Mr. Spink,” said Lettie. “How nice yourboat looks, Mr. Spink!”
“Ya-as,” drawled Barry. “I think she’s the goods, all right. I’m justgoing to hoist the sail. Wouldn’t you ladies like to take a littletrip?”
“In the _White Albatross_? Oh! I don’t know that we really _could_,”said Lettie, her eyes dancing.
“You needn’t be afraid,” returned Barry, airily. “I have managediceboats since I was a child—re’lly!”
“Let’s go!” whispered Lettie to her friend.
“No,” said Mildred, firmly. “I am obliged to you, Mr. Spink; but we havepromised to go out with Dan and Billy Speedwell in their boat—if theycome down the river. And I would not care to disappoint them.”
“Oh, pshaw!” laughed Spink. “I heard they were trying to build aniceboat. But, of course, having no experience, they’ll never be able todo it. Money bought his boat all ready to put together, and it is afairly good one; but it takes experience to build—as well as tohandle—an ice racer.”
“What’s that coming?” cried Lettie, suddenly.
They stood where they could get a view of several miles of the upperreaches of the Colasha. The _Redbird_ was just swooping around to returnto the Cove; but beyond Money’s boat there had suddenly appeared anothersail.
It was a huge sail and it flew over the ice at a terrific pace.Everybody about the Boat Club landing saw it, and the interest becamegeneral.
“There’s another iceboat, Mr. Spink,” exclaimed Lettie. “And see it fly!I guess there are others besides you and Money who know how to sail suchcraft.”
“I declare!” said Spink, in surprise. “It’s re’lly coming finely. Mustbe, Miss Parker, that you have some professionals here after all.”
“It’s Dan and Billy, of course,” declared Mildred.
Spink laughed at that statement. “Hardly,” he said. “I have seen theprofessional racers on the Hudson, and that is the way _they_ managetheir craft. See it! what a swoop. See that fellow standing up on thatout-runner, and hanging on just by his teeth, as you might say! _That’s_some sailing—believe me!”
“It _is_ Billy Speedwell!” cried Lettie, suddenly becoming anxious.“He’ll be killed! The reckless boy!”
“And it’s Dan at the helm,” added the doctor’s daughter.
“Never!” exclaimed Barry. “It can’t be those milkmen.”
But nobody paid any attention to the new boy just then. The crowd allran to watch the fast-flying ice yacht speed down the river. MonroeStevens’s _Redbird_ was nowhere. The strange craft flew fully twolengths to its one, and was very quickly at the entrance to the BoatClub Cove.
They beheld Billy Speedwell hanging to the wire cable that helped steadythe mast, and swinging far out from the out-runner, so as to help keepthat steel on the ice as the boat swung into the cove.
Dan let go the sheet at just the right moment, and the sail rattled downinto the standing-room. Billy dived for it, and kept the canvas fromslatting, or getting overboard under the runners. Thus, under themomentum she had gained, the craft ran in to the landing amid the cheersof the Speedwells’ school fellows.
“Great work?”
“I’ve got something to tell you right now, Billy Speedwell!” shouted JimStetson, above the confusion.
“Shoot, Jim! let’s have it,” returned the younger Speedwell.
“You needn’t think you’re going to have it all your own way in thisiceboat game—so now, Billy!”
“We don’t want it all our own way,” growled Billy. “But I reckon we’llshow you fellows some class, just the same.”
“Wait!” yelled Jim.
“What for?” demanded Billy.
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“Wait till you see what Biff Hardy and I have got. We’ll have the _SnowWraith_ on the ice next week and then we’ll show you some sailing,”declared Jim, confidently.
“Bully!” cried Billy. “The more the merrier. I can see right now that ifwe have an iceboat regatta here at Riverdale, it will be some occasion.”
Indeed, the enthusiasm for the new sport increased hourly. The sight ofthe Speedwells’ boat sweeping in to the landing had made the heart ofevery spectator beat quicker. And, of course, every fellow who wasbuilding an iceboat believed that _his_ was the better craft!
The girls had run down to the ice to see the Speedwells’ boat at closerrange.
“What under the sun do you call it?” gasped Lettie Parker. “That’s aname for you! ‘_Fly-up-the-Creek!_’ Whoever heard of such a thing?”
“It’s the blue heron; isn’t it?” asked Mildred, laughing.
“That’s what some folks say; but, anyhow,” explained Dan, “thefly-up-the-creek flies so fast that few people have ever seen one infull flight.”
“My goodness! aren’t you smart?” quoth Lettie. “But why not select apretty name for it?”
“Goodness! not if _you_ are going to sail with us,” cried Billy. “Wecouldn’t afford such a superabundance of beauty. A pretty name for theboat as well as a couple of howling beauties like you and Mildred——”
But Billy had to dodge Lettie’s vigorous palm then, and for the next fewmoments he kept well out of her reach.
He and Dan swung the craft around, raised the sail again, tucked the twogirls in under the rugs with which they had furnished her, and thenshoved the _Fly-up-the-Creek_ out from the land.
“We’re off!” yelled Billy, as he leaped aboard the outrigger. “Bid us afond farewell, and you can reach us by wire at Lake Karnac.”
Meanwhile Barry Spink and his helper had got the _White Albatross_ underway. She was already running for the mouth of the cove.
“You won’t be so lonely as you think, Billy,” said Miss Parker, pointinga red mitten at Spink’s craft. “Mr. Spink is going to show you boys howan iceboat ought to be handled.”
“Crickey!” ejaculated Billy. “What a get-up!”
“Yes! isn’t he gay?” asked Mildred, smiling.
“Just the same,” Dan observed, quietly, “I reckon that fellow can handlehis boat all right. He’s been living where they know all abouticeboating.”
“Huh!” exclaimed his brother. “The only time I ever saw him handle onehe ran it into the water. We ought to be able to do as well.”
“Oh!” cried Mildred. “Don’t you dare! I wouldn’t have come if I thoughtthere was any danger of _that_.”
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