“If we’d only brought our sleds, instead of the skates, we could get home,” said Ward.
“But it wasn’t snowing when we left,” said Polly. “Oh, dear, I do hope the folks aren’t worrying about us.”
“If we had some snowshoes, we could walk home, on top of the snow,” said Artie. “Why couldn’t we make some?”
“Out of what?” asked Fred, promptly.
“Barrel staves,” replied Artie.
“I think stilts would be better,” declared Ward. “Stilts would hold us up, out of the drifts.”
“Snowshoes are what we need,” decreed Fred. “Perhaps we could make them out of barrels. Let’s see if Mrs. Wicks has any barrels she doesn’t want.”
“Barrels?” said Mrs. Wicks, when they asked her. “Oh, my, yes! plenty of barrels out in the woodshed. Do anything you like with them.”
With the three girls as interested, if not hopeful, spectators (Polly was sure she couldn’t walk on snowshoes after they were made and Margy said frankly she didn’t think they would ever be made) the boys ripped two barrels apart and sandpapered the staves. The sandpaper was worn pretty smooth—it was all Mrs. Wicks had—and the staves were remarkably rough, but they did the best they could.
“You try them first, Fred,” suggested Artie. “How are you going to keep these snowshoes on?”