asked Russ eagerly.

"On the pond," answered Dick.

"The pond is covered with ice!" said Russ. "Is that a riddle? How can
you sail a boat on a pond that is covered with ice?"

"I'm going to sail an ice boat," answered Dick. "Want to come down and
see me, and have a ride?"

CHAPTER XX

ANOTHER NIGHT SCARE

You can easily imagine what the six little Bunkers said when Dick asked
this question about his ice boat.

"I want to come!" cried Russ.

"I want a ride!" shouted Laddie.

"Shall we get wet?" asked Rose.

"Oh, no, not in an ice boat," said Grandpa Ford. "I've seen Dick sail
one before. An ice boat is like a big skate, you know. It just slides
over the ice. You may take some of the little Bunkers for a ride in your
ice boat, Dick, if you'll be careful of them."

"I'll be very careful," promised Dick. "Come along!"

With shouts and laughter the six little Bunkers got ready to go down to
the pond with Dick, and ride in his ice boat.

I presume that not many of you have seen ice boats, so I will tell you
a little about them. Those of you who know all about them need not read
this part.

As Grandpa Ford had said, an ice boat, in a way, is like a big skate or
sled. It slides over the frozen ice of a pond, lake or river instead of
sailing through the water, as another boat does. And an ice boat really
has something like skates on it, only they are called runners. Perhaps I
might say they are more like the runners of a sled.

If you will take two long, strong, heavy pieces of wood and fasten them
together like a cross, or as you fasten kite sticks, you will see how
the frame of an ice boat is built. On the ends of the shorter
cross-piece are fastened the runners that slide over the ice. On the end
of the longer cross-piece is another runner, but this one turns about
from side to side with a tiller, like the tiller of a boat that goes in
water, and by this the ice boat is steered.

Where the two sticks cross the mast is set up, and on this is fastened
the sail, and between the sail and the tiller is a sort of shallow box.
This is the cabin of the ice boat, where the people sit when they are
sailing over the frozen pond.

"My ice boat is only a small home-made one," said Dick, "and I can't
take you all at one time. But I'll give you each some turns, and I hope
you'll like it."

Down to the edge of the pond went the six little Bunkers with Dick.
Grandpa Ford and Daddy Bunker went, too, to see the