“My ice boat is only a small home-made one,” said Dick, “and I can’t take you all at one time.  But I’ll give you each some turns, and I hope you’ll like it.”

Down to the edge of the pond went the six little Bunkers with Dick.  Grandpa Ford and Daddy Bunker went, too, to see the ice boat.

Dick’s ice boat was large enough to hold him and two little Bunkers at a time, and first he said he would take Russ and Mun Bun, for Russ could hold on to his little brother.

“I have to manage the sail and steer the boat,” explained the hired man, “and sometimes we go pretty fast.  Then you have to hold on as tight as you can.  But you’ll not spill out, for the ice is smooth.”

Russ and Mun Bun took their places on some pieces of old carpet that Dick had put in the cabin of his boat.  It was not like the cabin of any other boat, for it was open on all sides.  Really all it could be called was a shallow box.

“All ready?” asked Dick.

“All ready!” answered Russ, holding tightly to Mun Bun.

Away they sailed over the ice, turning this way and that, and they went so fast that, at times, it almost took away the breath of Mun Bun and Russ.  But they liked it, and laughed so gleefully about it that Laddie and Violet were eager to have their turn.

They, too, liked the ride on the ice boat, as it glided across the frozen pond.  The wind blew on the sail, and made the ice boat go fast.

Then came the turn of Rose and Margy.  At first Margy thought she would not go, but when they told her how much Mun Bun had liked it, and when Mun Bun himself had said he wanted to go again, Margy let Rose lift her in.

“Here we go!” cried Dick, and away glided the boat.  Back and forth across the pond it went, and Rose laughed, and so did Margy.  She found she liked it very much.

“Could I have another ride?” asked Russ after a bit.

“I guess so,” agreed Dick.  “I’ll take you and Laddie this time.  The wind is stronger now, and we’ll go faster—­too fast for the smallest ones, maybe.”

“I like to go fast!” exclaimed Russ.  But he went even faster than he expected to.

As Dick had said, the wind was blowing very strong now, and it stretched the sail of the ice boat away out.  Dick had all he could do to hold it while Russ and Laddie got on board.

“All ready?”

“All ready!” answered Russ.

The boat swung around and away it whizzed over the ice.  Russ and Laddie clung to the sides of the box-like cabin, and Russ had fairly to shout to make himself heard above the whistling of the wind.

“This is fast!” he called in Laddie’s ear.

“Yes, but I like it,” said the smaller boy.  “I’m going to make up a riddle about the ice boat but it goes so fast as soon as I think of anything in my head I forget it.”

“It’s fun!” exclaimed Russ.  “When I get bigger I’m going to make an ice boat that goes——­”