It was too bad of us to give such broad hints by looks if not by words.

Poor Mr.C.H---- was a bachelor in those days: he had not been at his little out-of-the-way homestead for some weeks, and was ignorant of its resources in the way of firing (always an important matter at a station), or even of tea and mutton.

He had no woman-servant, and was totally unprepared for an incursion of skaters; and yet,--New Zealand fashion,--no sooner did he perceive that we were all longing and pining for some skating, than he invited us all most cordially to go up to his back-country run the very next day, with him, and skate as long as we liked.

This was indeed a delightful prospect, the more especially as it happened to be only Monday, which gave us plenty of time to be back again by Sunday, for our weekly service.

We made it a rule never to be away from home on that day, lest any of our distant congregation should ride their twenty miles or so across country and find us absent.
When the host is willing and the guests eager, it does not take long to arrange a plan, so the next morning found three of us, besides Mr.C.
H---- mounted and ready to start directly after breakfast.