FUN ON THE ICE
Of course, the girls had prepared one another's presents long before. Each
had been tied in a queer bundle so, in trimming the tree, the nature of
the contents could not be guessed.
The oddest shaped things hung from the branches of the Christmas tree, and
the boys had excelled in making up these "surprise packages." Mrs. Tingley
handed the presents out, while the boys lifted them down for her. A long,
tightly rolled parcel, which looked as though it ought to contain an
umbrella, and was marked "To Helen from Tom," finally proved to contain a
jeweler's box, in which nestled a pretty ring, which delighted his twin.
A large, flat package, big enough to hold a large kite, was carefully
opened by Belle, who finally found in it, among the many tissue wrappings,
a pretty set of hair combs set with stones. In a roughly-done-up parcel
was a most disreputable old shoe addressed to Lluella. She was going to
throw it out, but the boys advised her so strongly not to that she finally
burrowed to the toe and found, to her amazement, a gold bracelet.
There was a good-sized box for Ann Hicks--just as it had come from the
express office at Lumberton a week before. Having been addressed in Mrs.
Tellingham's care, the western girl had known nothing about it.
Now it was opened last. It had come all the way from Silver Ranch, of
course. Such a set of furs no girl at Briarwood possessed. There were a
number of other presents from the cowboys, from Mrs. Sally, and from
Bashful Ike himself. Ann was so pleased and touched that she ran away to
hide her tears.
There were presents for each of the girls and boys who had been at
Bullhide the previous summer. Bill Hicks had forgotten nobody, and, as
Mrs. Tellingham had once said, the ranchman certainly was a generous man.
No member of the house party was overlooked on this bright Christmas
morning. Mercy's presents were as costly and numerous as those of any
other girl. Besides, the lame girl had been able to give her mates
beautiful little keepsakes that expressed her love for them quite as much
as would have articles that cost more money.
Her presents to the boys were funny, including a jumping jack on a stick
to Isadore, the face of which Mercy had whittled out and painted to look
a good deal like the features of that active youth.
For two hours the young folk reveled in their presents. Then suddenly
Heavy smelled the breakfast coffee and she led the charge to the long
dining room. They were in the midst of the meal when Mr. Tingley himself
arrived, having reached Logwood on the early train and driven across the
ice in a sleigh.
The Tingley young people met him hilariously. He was a big, bewhiskered
man, with a jolly laugh and amiable manner. His eye could flash, too, if
need be, Ruth judged. And almost at once she had an opportunity of seeing
him stern.
"What crowd is that over at the west end of the island?" he asked his
wife. "I see they have a fire. There must be four or five men there. Is it
some of Blent's doings?"
"Oh, Dad!" cried Ralph Tingley, eagerly. "You ought to stop that. Those
fellows are hunting Jerry Sheming."
"Who is Jerry Sheming?" he asked, quickly.
Mrs. Tingley explained briefly.
"I remember now," said her husband. "And this is the young lady who spoke
a good word for the boy in the first place?" and he beckoned the eager
Ruth to them. "What have you to say for your protégé now, Miss?"
"Everything that is good," declared the girl of the Red Mill, quickly. "I
am sure he is not at all the sort of boy this man Blent would have you
believe. And perhaps, Mr. Tingley, his old uncle _may_ have had some title
to a part of this island."
"That puts _me_ in bad, then--eh?" chuckled Mr. Tingley.
"Unless Mr. Blent has cheated you, sir," suggested Ruth, hesitatingly.
"He's a foxy old fellow. But I believe I have safeguarded myself. This
trouble about something being buried on the island--Well! I don't know
about that."
"I believe Jerry really has some idea now where his uncle put the box.
Even if the old hunter _was_ crazy, he might have had some valuables. And
surely Jerry has a better right to the box than Blent," Ruth said,
indignantly.
"I'll see about that. Just as soon as I have had breakfast, I'll take
Preston and go over and interview this gang of Blent's henchmen. I am not
at all sure that he has any right to hunt the boy down, warrant or no
warrant!"
That was when he looked grim and his eyes flashed. Ruth felt that her
friend's father was just the man to give Jerry Sheming a fair deal if he
had the chance.
When the boys proposed getting out the two iceboats and giving the girls a
sail (for the wind was fresh), Ruth was as eager as the others to join in
the sport.
Not all the girls would trust themselves to the scooters, but there were
enough who went down to the ice to make an exceedingly hilarious party.
Ralph Tingley and Tom Cameron were the best pilots. The small iceboats
were built so that two passengers could ride beside the steersman and
sheet tender. So the girls took turns in racing up and down the smooth ice
on the south side of the island.
Ruth and Helen liked to go together with Tom, who had Busy Izzy to tend
sheet. It was "no fair" if one party traveled farther than from the dock
to the mouth of the creek and back again.
The four friends--Ruth and her chum, and Tom and Busy Izzy--were making
their second trip over the smooth course. Bobbins, with his sister and The
Fox, and Ralph Tingley, manned the other boat.
The two swift craft had a splendid race to the mouth of that brook which,
because of its swiftness, still remained unshackled by the frost. The
shallow stream of water poured down over the rocks into the lake, but
there was only a small open place at the point where the brook emptied
into its waters into the larger and more placid body.
When the two iceboats swung about, the one Bobbins manned got away at once
and swiftly passed down the lake. The sheet fouled in Tom's boat. Busy
Izzy had to drop the sail and the boat was brought to a halt.
"There are Mr. Tingley and Preston going over to talk to the constable and
his crowd," remarked Isadore. "See yonder?"
"I hope he sends those men off the island. I don't see what right they
have here, anyway," Helen exclaimed.
"If only Jerry knows enough to keep under cover while they are here," said
Tom, looking meaningly at Ruth. They both wondered if the fugitive had
ventured out of his cave to find the mattock and box of food they had left
for him the evening before.
The craft was under way again in a minute or two, and they swept down the
course in the wake of the other boat. Suddenly the sharp crack of a rifle
echoed across the island. Helen screamed. Ruth risked the boom and sat up
to look behind.
"There's a fight!" yelled Busy Izzy. "I believe they're after Jerry."
They saw Mr. Tingley and Preston hastening their steps toward the brook.
As the iceboat swept out farther from the shore, the four friends aboard
her could see several men running in the same direction. One bore a
smoking gun in his hand.
"Right towards that rock, Ruthie!" gasped Tom, venturing a glance behind
him.
"What rock do you mean?" demanded his sister.
"The rock where you folks found me the other day. It's near the opening to
Jerry's cave. I see them!"
"'Ware boom!" yelled Tom, and shifted his helm.
The great sail went slowly over; the iceboat swooped around like a great
bird skimming the ice. Then, in a minute, it was headed back up the lake
toward the scene of the trouble.
Another rifle shot echoed across the ice.