"

"Well, I guess not every day," spoke Daddy Blake with a smile. "But
we'll come as often as we can, for I want you to learn to be good
skaters. And besides, there may be snow soon, and that will spoil the
ice for us."

"Oh, I hope it doesn't snow for a long time," sighed Mab.

"So do I!" echoed her brother. "But, if it does, we can have some
other fun. Daddy will take us coasting; won't you?"

"I guess so," answered Mr. Blake.

The lunch things were packed in the basket, and then Hal and Mab went
back to where the pickerel fish they had caught were left lying on the
ice.

"Why, they're frozen stiff!" Hal cried, as he picked up one fish,
which was like a stick of wood.

"That shows you how cold it is," said Mr. Blake. "But mamma can thaw
out the fish by putting them in water, and we can have them for dinner
to-morrow."

"When are we coming skating again?" asked Hal as they were on their
way home.

"Oh, in a few days," his father promised. "Meanwhile you and Mab can
practice on the pond near home, and then you can have a race."

"Oh, good!" cried Mab. "And I'll win!"

"Huh! I guess not!" exclaimed Hal. "Boys always win races; don't they,
Daddy."

"Well, not always," said Mr. Blake. "And Mab is becoming a good little
skater."

"Well, I'll win!" declared Hal. "You see if I don't!"

The next day was too cold for the children to go skating with
their Daddy, but a little later in the week it was warmer, and one
afternoon, coming home early from the office Mr. Blake said:

"Come on now. I hear you two youngsters have been practicing skating
on the pond, so we'll go over there and have a race."

"Hurray!" cried Hal.

"Oh, I do hope I win!" exclaimed Mab.

There were not many other skaters on the ice when the children and
their father reached it Mr. Blake marked off a place, by drawing two
lines on the ice with his skate. The space between them was about as
long as from the Blake's front gate to their back fence.

"Now, Hal and Mab," said Daddy Blake, "take your places on this first
line. And when I call 'Go!' start off. The one who reaches the other
line first will win."

Hal and Mab took their places. They were so eager to start that they
stepped over the line, before it was time.

"Go back," said Daddy Blake, smiling. Finally they were both evenly on
the line. The other skaters came up to watch.

"Go!" suddenly cried Daddy Blake.

CHAPTER IX

A WINTER PIC-NIC

Hal and Mab started o