[Illustration: "HURT? NO, INDEED!"] "Hurt? No, indeed!" shouted Uncle Josh, as he came up again through the snow. "That's the way we used to skate when I was a boy. Billy, where's that sled?" He did not seem in any hurry to stand up, but Joe Pearce found his hat, and handed it to him. "Thank you, Joseph. Billy, you may bring the sled right here in front of me." "He wants to sit down," said one of the boys. "He's sitting down now," said Joe. But Billy brought the sled, and Uncle Josh carefully worked himself forward upon it, and began to brush away the snow. "I'm as white as a miller," he chuckled to himself. "Boys, I guess you may do the rest of my skating for me to-day." "Don't those skates fit?" asked Joe. "Oh yes, they fit well enough. It's the ice that doesn't fit. It's too wide for me." "Well," said Billy, "we'll pull you across. Take hold, boys." "I declare!" began Uncle Josh; but the boys had seized the rope, and were off in a twinkling. "It's fun," they heard him mutter; "but what would Sister Sanders say?" "There she is!" exclaimed Billy, "right down by the shore. She's come to see us skate." "Hold on, boys! hold on! Let me get my skates off." But there were so many boys pulling and pushing around that sled that before they could all let go and stop it, the pond had been nearly crossed, and there was Mrs. Sanders. Uncle Josh did not seem to see her at all, and only said, "Now, boys, just unbuckle my skates for me, will you?" It would have been done more quickly if there had not been so many to help, and by the time one skate was loose, Uncle Josh was laughing again. "Deacon Parmenter!" "Is that you, Sister Sanders? They're all safe--every boy of them. Just wait a moment now, and they'll be ready for you." "Ready for me! What can you mean? I'm just amazed and upset, Deacon Parmenter. A man like you, to be cutting up in such a way as this!" "There they are, Sister Sanders. You can put 'em right on. Come and sit down on the sled. They're a little large for me, but they'll just fit you; I know they will." Uncle Josh had very carefully risen to his feet, and was holding out to her Brother Bob's big skates, straps and all. Her face grew very rosy indeed as she looked at them. "Fit me!" she exclaimed--"those things fit me! Why, Deacon Parmenter, what can you mean?" "Too small, eh? Well, now, I'd ha' thought--" But Mrs. Sanders turned right around and marched away toward her own house without saying another word. "Boys," said Uncle Josh, "the skating is fine, but there isn't any more of it than you'll want. Billy, take care of Brother Bob's skates for him. I hope you'll all have a good time." He was edging and sliding along toward the shore while he was talking, and the last they heard him say was, "I can skate well enough, but I'm afraid somebody else'll have to do my walking for me for a week or two." "He's just the best man in the village," said Joe Pearce.