They danced together at
parties, boated, picniced, skated, sometimes worked together. There was
an invisible bond that drew the group near each other, a feeling of
sympathy and good fellowship, for the "Bunch" was simply a
whole-hearted, happy crowd of boys and girls about sixteen to nineteen
years of age.
Winter was at its height. Christmas with all its joys was past, church
decorations had surpassed the usual standard of beauty, holidays were in
full swing, and the "Buds" were in great demand. The cold had for five
weeks been intense, and the barometer on the last day of January sank to
fifteen below zero. Snow had fallen but little, and the ring of merry,
tinkling sleigh bells was almost an unknown sound. Tobogganing of
course was impossible. But as Gladys philosophically remarked one day,
"Where could you find such skating as in Barrie?"
Great excitement prevailed when the moon was full, for the lake, some
nine miles in length, was frozen from end to end, with an average
thickness of three feet, and to the delight of skaters, was entirely
snow free. Of course parties were the order of the day. Such a chance to
command a magnificent icefield might not occur again for a long, long
time.
The "Bunch" instantly decided on a party of their own, and chose a
glorious night for the expedition. It consisted of the "Buds" and three
boys. For some time all went well, but Gladys's skate needed tightening,
and before it was satisfactorily done, the other four were far away, and
Harry Elliott was left as sole protector to the girl.
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