"Are you--can we help you--is there anything the matter, Alice?" asked Betty, gently, as she reached the sobbing girl. "I can't get her to tell me," spoke Harry Brook. "But I don't believe she's more than scared." "I am so! My elbow hurts terrible!" exclaimed Alice, petulantly. "Perhaps if I look at it," suggested Grace, laying a hand on the arm of Alice. "I'll thank you to let me alone!" was the snappish retort. "It was your fault we upset, anyhow. Let me alone!" "Whew!" whistled Will. "Well, I like that!" And his sister and her chums wished they were free to express themselves as forcibly. "Our fault!" cried Will. "Why, you came right for us, Brook! You know you did. We had to jibe to get out of your way, and that's what put us in bad." "I know it--I'm sorry," Harry had the grace to answer. "My mast is broken, too. The rudder seemed to jam, and I couldn't shift it." "Well, I guess we can be of no service here," said Betty, a bit coldly. "Come on, girls," and without so much as a glance at the girl who had spurned their kind offer the four chums started back. It was very evident that Alice was not much hurt, for she walked off to one side. "Shall I give you a hand at righting your boat, Harry?" asked Will, after rather an awkward pause. "Yes--if you will. I guess I don't know so much about ice craft as I thought I did. It was easy enough going before the wind, but when I turned to tack I had trouble. I'll just run her up on shore and see what I can do to-morrow about getting a new mast. Any of your crowd hurt?" "No, only their--feelings." "I'm sorry." "Oh, well, accidents will happen." Will looked narrowly at Alice, but she averted her gaze. Then, when Harry had assured him there was nothing more to do, Will set out to rejoin his friends, while Harry, after sliding the ice boat to shore, set off down the frozen stream with Alice. "I wouldn't like to be in his shoes," remarked Frank when the situation had been explained to him. "Alice will have it in for him, all right." "Well, perhaps after her show of uncalled-for temper he'll not want to have anything more to do with her," said Mollie. "I wouldn't--if I were in his place." Allen found that their ice boat had not been in the least damaged, and when the spilled-out possessions had been gathered up and replaced, they resumed their way with the hoisting of the sail. "I hope the lunch isn't spoiled," remarked Grace. "I'm hungry." "So am I," was the general admission. A few miles farther on they came to a sheltered cove where they stopped and ate dinner. They made hot chocolate over a little fire of driftwood on shore. Then they kept on up the river, the wind holding good, and about three o'clock reached the lumber camp. Allen sent the ice boat up to the little dock in proper style, and one after another the young people leaped out. "Whoop!" yelled Will. "Here we are! Whoop!" "Be still, you--Indian!" begged Grace.