ore.

Boys are usually quicker in arriving at conclusions than older
people, and one of them suggested that he had gone for his skates.
'Good! now we'll have some fun, boys,' says Phil Clark, who was a
good skater, and withal a good leader in a frolic. 'You follow me
and do as I tell you, and I don't believe old "Tushy" will follow
us far.' By general consent he led them to the dry, sandy shore,
and such as had them filled their handkerchiefs, and such as could
not boast of that superfluity filled their caps, with sand. 'Now,'
says Phil, 'when he comes back, and it won't be long, we'll form a
line and wait till he gets his skates on, when he'll put chase for
some of us. If he gets near any of us, some one sing out "Bully,"
and every boy drop his sand, and if he catches any one we'll all
pitch in.'

'Tushy' in a little while made his appearance, and soon had his
skates strapped to his feet, and after a few stamps upon the ice,
to see that they were properly secured, glided a few strokes and
started off for the boys. The moon was shining 'as bright as day,'
and old Tushy's movements were perfectly apparent. The pond was
huge, and afforded a good opportunity for a trial of speed, and,
though many of the boys were good skaters, 'Tushy' perseveringly
determined to capture one of them, and started for the one
nearest. This was 'Phil,' who was the master spirit of the frolic,
and as 'Tushy' approached with almost the certainty of capturing
him, he would glide gracefully aside and let him pass on. He had
almost caught up with a group of the smaller boys who were going
at full speed, when 'Phil' shouted out the word 'Bully.' In an
instant the contents of handkerchiefs and caps was deposited on
the glaring ice, the boys continuing their flying course. 'Tushy,'
elated with the prospect of capturing at least one of the urchins,
increased his speed with lunger strides, and was in the act of
grasping one, when the sparks from his steel runners, the sudden
arrest of his feet and the onward movement of his body, convinced
him that _he_ was caught. The impetus he had acquired with the few
last strokes on the smooth ice, and the sudden check his feet had
received from the sand, sent him sliding headlong many yards
towards an air-hole,--one of those dangerous places on ponds
suddenly frozen,