Bert.

He was tired out and glad to rest when they got home. More than this,
some of the snow had gotten down his back, so he had to dry himself by
sitting with his back to the sitting-room heater.

"Danny Rugg was terribly angry that we captured the fort," said he. "He
is looking for the boys who threw him on his face."

"It served him right," answered Nan, remembering the trouble over the
broken show window.

The second fall of snow was followed by steady cold weather and it was
not long before the greater part of Lake Metoka was frozen over. As soon
as this happened nearly all of the boys and girls took to skating, so
that sledding and snowballing were, for the time being, forgotten.

Both Nan and Bert had new skates, given to them the Christmas before,
and each was impatient to go on the ice, but Mrs. Bobbsey held them back
until she thought it would be safe.

"You must not go too far from shore," said she. "I understand the ice in
the middle of the lake, and at the lower end, is not as firm as it might
be."

Freddie and Flossie wanted to watch the skating, and Nan took them to
their father's lumber yard. Here was a small office directly on the lake
front, where they could see much that was going on and still be under
the care of an old workman around the yards.