They
were really learning to skate.

"Oh, look!" suddenly cried Hal. "My red rag is bobbing; I must have a
bite!"

He started in such a hurry toward the ice-hole where his line was set
that he fell down. But he did not mind that, and was soon up again.
However, Mab, who did not stumble, teached her line first.

"Oh dear! I haven't a bite!" she sighed, for her bell was not
jingling.

"But I have!" cried Hal, pulling his line in. "A big one, too!"

"I'll help you," said Daddy Blake, as he skated up to his little son,
and when Daddy had felt of the tugging line he remarked:

"Yes, that is a large fish! Up he comes!" And he pulled up Hal's fish.

Just as the big, flopping pickerel was hauled out on the ice, Mab
cried:

"My bell is tinkling! My bell is tinkling! I've got a fish, too!" And
indeed her piece of wire was moving to and fro where it was stuck up
in the ice, and the bell was jingling merrily.

"Wait, Mab, I'll help you!" called Daddy Blake, and, leaving Hal to
take care of his own fish, the children's papa went to pull in Mab's
catch.

Her fish was not quite as large as was Hal's, but it was a very nice
one. Then Mr. Blake called out:

"Oh ho! Now there's a bite on my line!"

His bell jingled quite loudly, and when the string was pulled up
through the hole there was a fine, large pickerel on the hook. The
fish were placed in a basket to be taken home, after having been
mercifully put out of pain by a blow on the head. Then the hooks were
baited again.

In a little while each one had caught another fish and then Daddy
Blake said:

"Now we have all the fish we can use, so there is no need of catching
any more. We will practice our skating a little longer, and then go
home. For I am sure you children must be cold."

"Oh, but aren't we going to eat the lunch we brought, before we go
home?" cried Hal.

"I was just wondering if you would think of that!" laughed Daddy
Blake. "Yes, we will eat lunch as soon as we get a little warm by
skating around, or by running."

CHAPTER VIII

THE SKATING RACE

Daddy Blake and the two children glided to and fro over the ice of the
frozen lake on their sharp steel skates. Soon all their cheeks were
red and rosy, and they felt as warm inside as though they had taken
some hot chocolate at the corner drug store.

"Daddy," asked Hal, "what makes you warm when you run fast, or skate?"

"It is because your heart pumps so much more blood up inside your
bod