together now."




CHAPTER VII.


It had been growing colder all the afternoon, and continued to do so
very rapidly through the night. The next morning at the breakfast table
some of the lads announced, with great glee that the lakelet was frozen
over; the ice so thick and solid that it was perfectly safe for skating
in every part.

The news caused quite a flurry of pleasurable excitement among the
younger ones of the company.

"I move that we spend the morning there," said Zoe.

"How many of us have skates, I wonder?"

"You have I think, have you not?" said Edward.

"Yes; yours and mine are both in good order; I examined them only the
other day."

The captain asked how many knew how to use skates, and from the replies
it seemed that all the lads had been more or less accustomed to their
use, some of the girls also. Zoe had had quite a good deal of practice
before her marriage, a little since.