"Oh! bother," chuckled Toby, maliciously; "he's got something a whole
lot better to attend to than just jabbering with his two chums over
the lines of a projected iceboat wonder."

Good-natured Steve only laughed in return, though had the gloaming not
been settled down so early, the other fellows might have seen his
cheeks flaming; for Steve was an exceedingly modest chap, and easily
flustered.

Jack Winters reached home, and had his bath in time to come to the
table when the supper bell rang. And it goes without saying that his
appetite showed no sign of flagging on that occasion, for football
work is calculated to put a keen edge on a boy's natural desire for
food.

Later on he again set forth, after a hack at his lessons, and turned
to make his way across lots along a well-worn path, in this fashion
cutting off several corners, and shortening the distance, which is
apparently a thing desired by every American lad.

It was about eight when he arrived at the Hopkins domicile, and was
let in by Toby himself. The other seemed wildly excited, for the first
thing he did was to burst forth with:

"Jack, I've gone and done it, I do believe, this time! Yes, sir, I've
struck an idea that promises fairly to revolutionize iceboats. It came
to me like a flash, and I'm wild to know what you think about it."

Jack did not enthuse as much as Toby would have liked to see. Truth to