Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/106

 "‘Two can play at curling,' he growled, as I helped him to his feet. We skated to the near shore and procured an armful of rocks. Then, striking a blithesome clip, we began enfilading the beggars with double shots. Tib would shoot at one end of the group, I taking the other, with an occasional stinger straight for the centre. What with the axe and rock play we soon cleared the lake, and then for the first time had a clear course to the barriers at the outlet. Gaining this, Tib used his axe until he had effected a narrow lane, the guard in the mean time trying to dent our chests with odd pieces of hardy timber.

"Then we drew back, right in the face of the approaching rear-guard, to gain momentum, and describing a ponderous circle, just without the reach of a fringe of clutching hands and rampant spears, turned under a ninety-pound pressure and again made a bee-line to the riddled chevaux-de-frise in the neck of the lake to smash our way through to the clear ice of the river. For the lake was a bottle, and that narrow outlet, littered with stumps and gnarled branches, could never have been penetrated without a flying start. And, dear, dear! what a vision of odds and ends, logs and ill-advised aborigines, I enjoyed in passing, as the débris rained down outside and heartily thumped my roof! Through my narrow windows I was rejoiced to see Tib also had