With a buoyant feeling of excitement, and a sensation of joy increased by the brisk beat of the freezing wind upon their cheeks, the two lads joined hands in a firm grip, kept time together, and sped on as Lincoln and Cambridge boys alone can speed over the ice.
Not that they are more clever with their legs than the boys of other counties; but from the fact that skating has always been a favourite pastime with them, and that when others were longing for a bit of bearing ice, and getting it sometimes in a crowded place, the marsh and fen lads had miles of clear bright surface, over which they could career as a swallow flies.
Away and away over the open ice, unmarked before by skate-iron and looking black as hardened unpolished steel, stroke for stroke, stroke for stroke, the wind whistling by them, and the ominous cracking forgotten as they dashed on past reed-bed and bog-clump, keeping to the open water where they had so often been by punt.
"His reed-stack must be on fire," panted Dick as they dashed on.
"Ay, and his peat-stack and cottage too," shouted Tom so as to be heard above the ringing of their skates.

"Oh, Dick, if I only knew who it was did these things I think I could kill him!" Dick was silent for a minute, for his companion's words jarred upon him.
"How much farther is it ?" he said at last.
"Good mile and a half," said Tom; "but it's fine going.

I say, look at the golden smoke.

It must be at Dave's, eh ?" "Yes, it's there, sure enough.

Oh, Tom, suppose some one were to burn down the duck 'coy!" "It wouldn't burn so as to do much harm.