I got tired at last, and went down to the pond, where I ploughed about for a time on my skates in solitude, for the pond was empty.

Then I ran up to the house to see if Jem had come back, but he had not, and I returned to the dam to wait for the school-master.
The crowd was larger than before, for everybody's work-hours were over; and the skater was still displaying himself.

He was doing very difficult figures now, and I ran round to where the bank was covered with people watching him.

In the minute that followed I remember three things with curious distinctness.

First, that I saw Mr.Wood coming back, only one field off, and beckoned to him to be quick, because the lad was beginning to cut a double three backwards, and I wanted the school-master to see it.