went, to slide a long distance, when he bumped into a gentleman who was
skating backwards and over went the man with a crash that could be heard
a long distance off.

"Hi! you young rascal!" roared the man, trying to scramble up. "What do
you mean by bowling me over like that?"

"Excuse me, but I didn't mean to do it," answered Bert, and lost no time
in getting out of the gentleman's way. The gentleman was very angry and
left the ice, grumbling loudly to himself.

Down near the lower end of Mr. Bobbsey's lumber yard some young men were
building an ice-boat. Bert and Charley Mason watched this work with
interest. "Let us make an ice-boat," said Charley. "I can get an old
bed-sheet for a sail, if you will get your father to give you the
lumber."

"I'll try," answered Bert, and it was agreed that the ice-boat should be
built during the following week, after school.




CHAPTER IX

FREDDIE LOSES HIMSELF


Christmas was now but four weeks away, and the stores of Lakeport had
their windows filled with all sort of nice things for presents. Nan and