ings.
His teeth came together with a snap. Happily his tongue was not between
them! Happily, too, the sledge did not overturn, but continued its
furious flight.

"Oh, you villain!" exclaimed Benjy, shaking his fist at the airy monster
which was thus dragging him to destruction.

If Benjy had been asked to state the truth just then, he would have
found it hard to say whether consternation or delight were uppermost.
It _was_ such a glorious rush! But then, how was it to end? Well, he
did not dare to think of that. Indeed he had not time to think, for
troubles came crowding on him. A violent "swish!" and a sudden deluge
told him that what he had taken for glassy ice was open water. It was
only a shallow pool, however. Next moment he was across it, and bumping
violently over a surface of broken ice.

The water suggested the fear that he must be nearing the open sea, and
he became supernaturally grave. Fortunately, the last crash had been
passed without dislocating the parts of either sledge or rider. A long
stretch of smooth ice followed, over which he glided with
ever-increasing speed.

Thus he continued to rush over the frozen sea during a considerable part
of that night.

Poor Benjy! he became half-mad with excitement at last. The exaltation
of his little spirit at the risky neck-or-nothing dash, coupled with
horror at the certainty of a terrible climax, was almost too much for
him. He gave vent to his feelings in a wild cheer or yell, and, just
then, beheld an iceberg of unusual size, looming up on the horizon
before him. Knowing by experience that he would soon be up to it, he
used his pole with all his might, hoping to steer clear of it. As he
drew nearer, he saw a dark line on either side of the berg. A feeling
of deadly alarm filled him. It was the open sea! and he had to choose
between being plunged into it or dashed against the berg. It occurred
to him then, for the first time, that a third resource was open--he
might cut the rope, and let the kite go free! Amazed at his stupidity
in not thinking of this before, he took out his clasp-knife, but before
applying it, made a last effort to move the regulator. Strange to say,
the silken cord yielded to the first pull, as if nothing had been wrong
with it at all! The head of the runaway kite was thrown forward, and it
came wavering down in eccentric gyrations, while the sledge gradually
lost way, and came to a standstill not fifty yards from th