it," replied Will, himself munching on
some candy that he produced from a hidden source--likely one of his
seemingly innumerable pockets. Betty said she never could understand how
a boy could remember all the pockets he had--fourteen she once counted,
when she had Allen Washburn enumerate them for her.

"It's this way," went on Will, with tantalizing slowness, but Grace knew
better than to try to hurry him. "Allen and Frank and I have bought a
big ice boat."

"You have?" cried Grace. "You never told me a thing about it." She
looked her keen reproaches.

"Well, I'm telling you now," said Will. "It is a second-hand one, and
used to belong to the Chacalott Club, down the river. They bought a new
one for racing purposes, and Allen heard of the chance to get this one.
He told me, I told Frank, Frank told--told----"

"Oh, spare us the horrible details!" protested Grace. "Where do we come
in?"

"In the ice boat, of course. Where else did you expect?" and Will
grinned at her like a Cheshire cat.

"Provoking!" murmured Grace. "Do go on."

"Yes, do," urged Mollie. "We've got so much to do yet!"

"Well, as I said, we have a big, roomy ice boat," went on Will. "It
isn't as comfortable as your _Gem_, Betty, and has no cabin."

"No cabin!" cried Amy. "I thought all boats had to have cabins."

"An ice boat is like a pair of stilts, crossed," explained Will.
"There's no room for a cabin, but there is a sort of cockpit on this
one. It will hold ten when they aren't spilled out on the way."

"Spilled out?" queried Mollie. "That sounds interesting."

"It is--when you're not spilled," said Will. "You see in a stiff breeze
the ice boat sort of rears up on its hind legs, like an auto going
around a curve on two wheels, and there the spilling begins.

"As I said, the cockpit of the _Spider_ will hold about ten comfortably,
and if half spill out, why so much the more comfort for those who
succeed in holding themselves in."

"But what about us?" asked Grace.

"Oh, we'll hold you in," volunteered Will, cheerfully.

"No, I mean do you really intend for us to use it to go to camp?"
insisted his sister.

"I sure do. It's a dandy boat--the _Spider_, and----"

"_Spider!_" exclaimed Betty with a little shiver. "What possessed you to
take such a name?"

"It looks like a water bug--the ice is not far removed from water. Hence
_Spider_. Do you get me--or the spider?"

"Oh, you boys!" sighed Grace. "Girls, shall we consider it--t