Bert, Nan and Charley talked for some time longer about the trip to Snow Lodge, and then, as it was getting nearly time for dinner, they skated down the lake toward their homes.
"How are you folks going up to the lodge?" asked Charley, before parting from Bert and Nan.
"Oh, I guess father will take one of his big lumber sleds and drive us all up," replied Bert. "We'll have to take along lots of things to eat, for it's a good ways to the store, and we might get snowed in."
"That's right," said Charley. "But say, why don't you and Freddie go up in our iceboat, the Ice Bird? It isn't much of a run to Snow Lodge, on the lake, and it's good going now."
"I never thought of that!" exclaimed Bert. "I wonder if father would let us?"
"You can ask him," said Nan. "I'd like to skate up, if it wasn't so far. But I don't believe it would be safe to take Freddie on the ice-boat, Bert. He's so little, and so easily excited that he might tumble out."
"That's right. And yet it will be no fun to
