"The ice broke somewhere," declared Lola.

"We'd better not go on it any more," said Mary.

"Well go up and ask Uncle Toby about it," suggested Ted. "I don't want
to stop skating."

As the children were about to take off their skates to go back to the
cabin, Aunt Sallie was seen coming down, dragging Trouble on a sled.
There were patches of snow here and there so it was not hard to pull the
sled along. And Trouble was not very heavy.

"Oh, Aunt Sallie, you ought to hear the ice crack!" called the children
in a chorus.

"Is it dangerous?" asked Mary.

Uncle Toby came out of the bungalow and heard what was asked.

"That rumbling, cracking sound isn't anything dangerous," he said. "The
ice often does that, and often big cracks come in it out in the middle
of the lake. But it is thick enough, and it won't break through with
you or I shouldn't have let you go skating. But, even with all I have
said, don't go too far out."

The children felt safer, now that Uncle Toby had told them this, and Ted
again started to show Harry how to do a grapevine twist. Aunt Sallie
gave the sled and Trouble over in charge of the girls, and they skated
up and down pulling William to and fro, to his great delight.

The boys, now that Harry felt more at home on his skates, began to try
to outdo each other in tricks, and when Harry said he would be the
judge, Tom and Ted had a race, Ted winning.

Once Jan and Lola skated so fast, pretending they were a team of horses
pulling Trouble on his sled, that Jan stumbled and fell down, also
tripping Lola. The girls were not hurt, and they slid along over the ice
laughing. But the sled was upset, Trouble fell off, and though he was so
bundled up that he didn't get hurt, he began to cry.

"I guess we'd better take him in," suggested Jan. "He may be cold.
Anyhow, I've had enough skating."

"So have I," said Mary and Lola.

They went up to the cabin, taking Trouble with them. But the boys
remained on the ice a while longer, and Harry was rapidly becoming a
good skater.

The three lads did not take off their skates until it was time for
dinner, and after the meal they went back on the frozen lake again,
though the girls stayed in to play with their dolls.

"Make the most of your skating," said Uncle Toby, as he watched the
three lads circling around on the ice.

"Why?" asked Tom.

"Because I think we are going to have another storm," was the answer.
"It is going to snow, and then all the