Russ and Laddie had another race—­one that was finished, and Russ won, so he did not have to guess Laddie’s riddle.

“If I had beat you,” said Laddie, “I was going to ask you why is an automobile tire like a snake.”

“Pooh, that’s easy to guess,” said Russ. “’Cause it’s round and fat.”

“Nope,” said Laddie.  “It’s ’cause a snake hisses and so does an auto tire when the air comes out.”

“Oh!” said Russ.

They were all in the house, after dinner, when Dick came in to ask Grandpa Ford about something that needed fixing in the barn.  The hired man saw the children sitting about with nothing particular to do, and said: 

“How would you like to come for a ride in my boat?”

“Where?” asked Russ eagerly.

“On the pond,” answered Dick.

“The pond is covered with ice!” said Russ.  “Is that a riddle?  How can you sail a boat on a pond that is covered with ice?”

“I’m going to sail an ice boat,” answered Dick.  “Want to come down and see me, and have a ride?”

CHAPTER XX

ANOTHER NIGHT SCARE

You can easily imagine what the six little Bunkers said when Dick asked this question about his ice boat.

“I want to come!” cried Russ.

“I want a ride!” shouted Laddie.

“Shall we get wet?” asked Rose.

“Oh, no, not in an ice boat,” said Grandpa Ford.  “I’ve seen Dick sail one before.  An ice boat is like a big skate, you know.  It just slides over the ice.  You may take some of the little Bunkers for a ride in your ice boat, Dick, if you’ll be careful of them.”

“I’ll be very careful,” promised Dick.  “Come along!”

With shouts and laughter the six little Bunkers got ready to go down to the pond with Dick, and ride in his ice boat.

I presume that not many of you have seen ice boats, so I will tell you a little about them.  Those of you who know all about them need not read this part.

As Grandpa Ford had said, an ice boat, in a way, is like a big skate or sled.  It slides over the frozen ice of a pond, lake or river instead of sailing through the water, as another boat does.  And an ice boat really has something like skates on it, only they are called runners.  Perhaps I might say they are more like the runners of a sled.

If you will take two long, strong, heavy pieces of wood and fasten them together like a cross, or as you fasten kite sticks, you will see how the frame of an ice boat is built.  On the ends of the shorter cross-piece are fastened the runners that slide over the ice.  On the end of the longer cross-piece is another runner, but this one turns about from side to side with a tiller, like the tiller of a boat that goes in water, and by this the ice boat is steered.

Where the two sticks cross the mast is set up, and on this is fastened the sail, and between the sail and the tiller is a sort of shallow box.  This is the cabin of the ice boat, where the people sit when they are sailing over the frozen pond.