never do to appear so woe-begone and dejected before the
boys, and so he assumed an apparent cheerfulness and be
gan to whistle.
The creek was frozen over with that smooth crystal ice,
which only comes at the first freezing,—safe on the whole,
but with a few weak spots near the shores, booms and cribs.
The crowd was immense. Almost the whole town
seemed to have turned out and "there was as much ex
citement and healthy stirring of the blood as on the Fourth
of July."
Barry soon had his skates adjusted and was out in the
bustle and frolic. "Come Barry," said the boys, "Get a
club. We are going to play shinny." Under these lively
influences, lie soon cut himself a club in a birch copse, and
joined the game. With. hearty will, he worked away to drive
the wooden block through the opposing line. Once, twice,
they made it, and then tried for a third; but something
down the creek caught the eye of Barry. It was the red and
blue of Penn. Instantly a thought flashed through his.
brain, a wish to do do him harm; but no sooner thought,
than angrily discarded.
But in the game, he no longer had an interest; and so he
started to skate up the creek. Here he found one of those
old-fashioned skaters, to whom the sport had yet some at
tractions, and expressed a desire to learn the grapevine.
"Now you see," said the old man, "you do this."
"Yes," said Barry, glancing covertly clown the creek.
"And then you turn this way," continued the instructor.
"Yes," said Barry, "I see that all right," and made the
attempt, as a couple skated up the creek.
"Hold on 1" cried the old fellow, "You haven't it yet..
Now watch me." And he proceeded to go through the
movement. • "Why, Barry, little Tommy Lee learned that
the first time."
"Help ! Help !" rang out an agonizing cry upon the air,
from a little fellow struggling in the icy water near the
Cousin Torn