“I don’t think it would, Dave.”
“Nay, it wouldn’t, lad; and I don’t want to get wet, so off with you.”
The boys hesitated; but Dave was determined.
“Here, give me a hand wi’ my poont,” he said; and going to where it was moored, he took hold of the boat, drew it close in, and then, he on one side, the two lads on the other, they ran it right up ashore, and close to the glowing peat-stack, where, with a good deal of laughter at their clumsiness in skates ashore, the punt was turned over, and Dave propped one side up with a couple of short pieces of wood.
“Theer,” he said. “Looks like setting a trap to ketch a big bird. I’m the big bird, and I shall be warm enew faäcing the fire. When it goes out I can tak’ away the sticks and let the poont down and go to sleep. Come and see me again, lads, and bring me a moothful o’ something. Mebbe the ice’ll bear to-morrow.”
“We’ll come, Dave, never fear,” said Dick, taking out his knife as he reached the ice, and cleaning the mud off his skates, for the ground was soft near the fire, though hard as iron everywhere else.
“I don’t fear, lads,” said Dave smiling, and letting off his watchman-rattle laugh. “It’s a bad job, but not so bad as Farmer Tallington’s stables burning, or squire’s beasts heving theer legs cooten. I’ll soon get oop another house when I’ve been and seen neighbour Hickathrift for some wood. Now, then, off you go, and see who’s best man over the ice.”
“One moment, Dave,” cried Dick, checking himself in the act of starting. “It was easy enough to come here with the fire to guide us, but we must know which way to go back.”
“Ay, to be sure, lad,” cried Dave eagerly. “You mak’ straight for yon star and yow’ll be right. That star’s reight over the Toft. Now, then—off!”
There was a momentary hesitation, and then the boys struck the ice almost at the same time. There was a ringing hissing sound, mingled with a peculiar splitting as if the ice were parting from where they started across the mere to the Toft, and then they were going at a rapidly increasing speed straight for home.