Thus equipped, it was easy to haul the craft around, and, getting behind her, they took turns in pushing her over toward the west shore, where, as Jack had supposed, there was a strip of ice all of fifty yards wide, leading to the solidly frozen river beyond. “We want to be on the lookout for such places as this,” remarked Harry, as they boarded the _Icicle_ once more, and hoisted the sail, which was now sadly torn in half-a-dozen places. “If it hadn’t been for Pickles we might all be at the bottom of the river this minute.” And he gave the colored youth a grateful look, which caused Pickles to grin from ear to ear. After that two of the boys remained at the bow, straining their eyes to see ahead. But this extra caution was now hardly needed. Owing to the torn condition of the mainsail, the _Icicle_ did not move as rapidly as before, and presently, when the wind died down a trifle more the clumsy craft came to a complete standstill. “Humph! Here’s a state of things!” muttered Andy, impatiently. “And we are still two or three miles from Rudd’s Landing. What’s to do?” “Get on our skates again and push the _Icicle_ along,” suggested Jack. “Boxy, you whistle for a wind, you are such a whistler,” laughed Harry, who, as there was no danger attached, was disposed to view the condition of affairs lightly. “I’m afraid I’d have to whistle a pretty long while,” returned Boxy. “My idea is that the wind has gone down for the night, as it frequently does.” “Dat’s it, persackly,” put in Pickles. “But I jess as lief shobe de _Isticle_--I’se all cold to de marrer ub my bones.” “So am I,” cried Jack. “I’m going to push just to get warm. You had better stay on board if you feel played out,” he added, to his brother. “No, I’ll get off, too,” replied Andy. “But I don’t believe I can shove very much; my head hurts a bit again.” Once more all hands sprang down and donned their skates. Then Pickles, Harry, and Jack began to push the iceboat before them, while Boxy and Andy followed on behind with the sled. It was now dark, and growing colder every minute, which was odd, so they thought, since the wind had gone down. “We won’t get that snowstorm to-night, that’s sure,” remarked Harry. “It is always warmer just before a heavy fall of snow.” “Maybe we’ll catch clear weather that’s cold enough to freeze the leg off a mule,” returned Jack. “Somebody said there was an intensely cold snap on the way.” “Oh, we’re prepared for cold all right,” put in Boxy. “All you’ve got to do is to move around lively like to keep up the circulation, and you are all right.” “Just the same I wish we were in Rudd’s Landing,” said Jack. “I don’t like this traveling on an unknown part of the river in the dark. We may not find the Landing at all.” “Pooh! How can we help it? We know just where it is along shore.” “Well, then, let us turn in a bit. There is no sense in keeping away out here in the middle.” “That’s so,” said Andy. “It may be warmer in toward the shore.”