Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/103

 ing his ninepins, and in pin-wheeling through them he got more action for his money. There was a heavy shower of brownies long after I slowed up. They simply littered the landscape!

"Once we'd ceased to slide we were surrounded, and the blows rained on my shell sounded very loud to me inside. I couldn't get up, nor could Tib, and so he began digging his spurs into the ice and propelling himself in my direction. He steered by my voice, and as he hove in line with my vizor I observed he was heavily laden with dusky passengers. Once our uniforms clinked together, he cleared a space with his axe and we managed to gain our feet. It was surprising, sir, to see how neatly I could skim around, once I began to skate. Tib was even better, and threw in a few extra flourishes I couldn't command. Meanwhile the Injuns stood back regaining their wind and expecting us to do something fantastic. I could see they were determined to absorb our weapons, which we still retained.

"‘All I'm afraid of is that the ice will break,' cried Tib. 'We must weigh as much as a Cunarder.'

"The main force of the Tan-Nics ran ahead and formed a line of battle in front of us, while the outpost began piling logs across the neck of the Fried Fish River. We had started towards this and were