g
motion with his feet, he threw himself round. But unfortunately he had
made some miscalculation or slip, for instead of alighting square upon
the skates, his heels flew up, and with a tremendous thump, down came
poor Bill upon his back.

"Hurrah!" cried Hen Billings; "there you go, candy and all. I hope you
ain't hurt you," he said, good naturedly. "I'd rather lose my bet than
have you hurt."

"No," whined Bill, squirming round his body, and rubbing the back of
his head, "not much. What are you grinning at, you monkey? Did you
never see a man fall before?" cried he, shaking his fist at another
boy, whose face it seems did not wear an expression of condolence to
suit him. "I vow if I don't try that again," he added, after having
recovered a little from the effects of his fall.

Thereupon space being again allowed, Bill, with genuine pluck, tried
the experiment once more, and this time with better fortune.
His success was greeted with shouts of congratulation, and with
expressions of "true grit," "stuffy little fellow," &c., and
he presently disappeared with his friend, Hen, in search of the
candy-merchant.

Faith and Anne, with the two young men, had witnessed the whole scene
with some interest, and the different manner in which the girls were
affected was characteristic. Faith betrayed a lively sensibility when
the boy fell, and was hardly restrained from condoling with him; while
Anne took but little notice of it, but exhibited exquisite delight at
his courage and final success. But something else now attracted their
attention. A shout was raised, and exclamations were heard of "There
comes the ice-boat; there comes Grant's ice-boat."

Turning round, they beheld what had the appearance of a boat under
sail, flying round the promontory of Okommakemisit. A slight breeze
was drawing up the stream, and before its favoring breath, the little
vessel, or whatever else it might be called, advanced with great
rapidity. In a few moments it had reached them, and with a sharp
grating sound as of iron cutting into ice, came suddenly to a stop,
and the persons gathering round had an opportunity to examine it. It
was the work of a village genius, and consisted of some boards, cut
in an elliptical form (as, perhaps, the most convenient), supported by
two pieces of iron, parallel to each other, to which the boards were
fastened, and running the whole length from bow to stern. In the
forward part was rigged a mast, to which was