The toboggan slide was in fine shape, and as soon as supper was over
the upper grade boys hurried out to it. Bert had never tasted the joys
of tobogganing and so was quite indifferent to the fact that he was not
to be allowed on the slide, but Lanny and Small were inclined to be
rueful.
“I wish now,” said Small, “that we’d fixed it for them.”
“I don’t see why we can’t use it if we want to,” said Kid. “It’s the
school slide and not Ben’s and Sam’s. I guess if we asked Mr. Crane――――”
“That would be a babyish thing to do,” said Lanny. “Let’s go out and
see them, anyway. Maybe they’ll let us go down a few times.”
“They’ve got all the toboggans,” said Small, as they scattered for
their sweaters and jackets. “Aren’t you coming, Bert?”
“No, I guess not. I don’t want to stand in the snow and watch those
fellows slide down hill.”
“Oh, come along,” begged Lanny. “Maybe we can have some fun.”
So Bert accompanied them and they went out and stood at the foot of
the incline and watched the more fortunate ones come scooting down the
ice-covered planks and go, rising and dipping and rising again, down
the long trough of snow until lost in the darkness of the meadow. Their
feet were beginning to get cold and Bert had already announced his
determination to return indoors when Cupples and Crandall, drawing a
fine new toboggan that the former had received as a Christmas present,
arrived at the foot of the incline and started up the steps. It was Ben
who saw them and raised a warning shout to the others, who included
three day students from the village.
“Keep those fellows off!” cried Ben.
Four or five upper grade boys barred their way.
“We helped make this slide,” said Cupples indignantly, “and you can
just believe we’re going to slide on it.”
“Nothing doing,” declared Ben. “You two fellows have joined with the
juniors. That bars you out.”
“It does, eh?” Cupples tried to push by. “We’ll see about that! Come
on, Cran.”
But the others were too many for them, and, in the end, Crandall and
Cupples, protesting angrily and vowing vengeance, retreated to the
ground.
“Wouldn’t they let you slide?” asked Lanny.
“No, but they can’t help themselves. We’ll wait until they’ve all
coasted down,” said Cupples.
But it was soon evident that the enemy had other plans, for they timed
their descents so that there always remained four or five fellows at
the start. This effectually held Cupples and Crandall at bay, but it
made the tobogganing pretty slow, since it was necessary to wait until
one couple had started back from the meadow before the next couple
started down.
“I tell you what,” said Bert. “You two can get one slide anyway.”
“How?” asked Cupples.
“Wait until those three day chaps go down together. Then, before
they’re back, two more will go down. That only leaves four up there.
We’ll rush the slide and you two chaps get started before the others
come up again.”
“All right,” said Crandall. “And we can take another down you know.
Want to go?”
But Bert shook his head. “Take Kid,” he said. “The biggest of us had
better stay behind to cover your retreat.”
“To cover our own retreat, you mean,” said Small. “I’m not going up
there.”
“Yes, you are,” said Lanny. “There go the three chaps. Now, when they
reach the bottom two more will start. Then we’ll try it. I hope Ben
goes down next.”
And Lanny had his wish, for after some two or three minutes had elapsed
and it was safe to presume that the three day students were well on
their way back, Ben and Stanley Pierce started down. As soon as they
had flashed past the group at the bottom of the incline Cupples gave
the word and the six boys started up the steps. On the platform at the
top stood Waters, Gardner, Lovell and Perkins, and as soon they saw the
enemy approach they started down to meet them.
“On the run!” cried Cupples and, with the toboggan bumping along
behind, he and Crandall leaped up the steps, slipping and stumbling on
the ice and snow. Behind them went Bert and Lanny, Small and Kid, Small
greatly against his inclinations and Kid screeching joyously. They met
the defenders halfway up the steps. Cupples and Sam Perkins came to
grips, lost their footing and created so much confusion on the narrow
stair that Crandall, passing the toboggan rope back to Kid, gained the
platform and Bert and Lanny followed. Lovell only laughed, leaving for
the moment the repulsing of the invaders to Waters and Gardner, who
proved unequal to the task. Cupples and Perkins finally found their
feet and joined the others.
“We’re going down,” declared Crandall, trying to get the toboggan in
place, “and you can’t stop us.”
“Can’t we?” asked Perkins. “You watch.”
The ten boys pushed and scuffled on the small platform, Cupples and
Crandall striving to get their toboggan ready for the start and the
enemy kicking it out of place again. At last, however, Bert, Lanny,
Small and Kid, engaging the attention of the defenders fiercely,
Cupples got the toboggan in place, yelled to Crandall and started
down. Crandall stumbled over someone’s foot and threw himself after
the toboggan, just managing to grasp the rail on one side. All the way
down the incline he trailed behind, bumping against the side board, but
at the bottom, as the toboggan struck the ground, he managed to pull
himself on to it. And away they went, Cupples sending back a shrill
shout of triumph.
Meanwhile, not willing to trust to the mercies of the enemy, the four
juniors were in full retreat down the steps, pursued by Perkins and
Gardner. The latter gave up the pursuit before the bottom was reached
and the juniors drew off to a safe distance, Kid sending back cries
of defiance and insult. Then the three day students trailed past with
their toboggan, yelling as they neared the incline; “Who was that just
went down, fellows?”
“Cupples and Crandall,” was the reply from Perkins. “They rushed us,
they and those kids down there.”
“Get your toboggans ready,” advised one of the day fellows, “and we’ll
all down and catch them.”
“Good scheme,” answered Gardner. “Come on, fellows!” Down shot Gardner
and Lovell, while Perkins pushed his toboggan into position for
descent. The three day students rushed up the steps.
“Snowball them!” whispered Lanny, kneeling and hurriedly fashioning
his missiles. The others followed his example, armed themselves with
four or five snowballs and waited for Perkins and Waters. They came.
Four arms were raised and shot forward and the soft snow thudded and
spattered against the faces and bodies of the two flying seniors.
The juniors threw first as soon as the enemy was within range and
managed to get in a second fusillade before they were out of shot.
Angry remonstrances floated back on the night air. At the top of the
incline, the three day boys had failed to see the attack and came down
unsuspectingly. Again the snowballs sped to their marks and again the
cries of the victims arose as the toboggan rushed away down the slope.
[Illustration: “The soft snow thudded and spattered against the two
flying seniors.”]
“Fine!” laughed Bert. “We got in some good ones. But they’ll make it
hot for us when they come back.”
“I wonder if they’ll catch Harold and Sewall,” said Lanny. “There’s
someone coming now.”
Into the dim radiance of the two lights on the platform came two boys
dragging a toboggan. They were Ben and Stanley Pierce.
“I say,” whispered Bert, “let’s get up there ahead and keep them off.
We can do it. Take all the snowballs you’ve got, fellows.” And Bert
started for the steps on the run. Had the others had time to reflect
they might have hesitated. As it was, they followed at once and had
gained the platform before Ben and Pierce had reached the foot of
the steps. When they did reach them a snowball, sent with beautiful
accuracy, banged against Ben’s woolen cap and another hummed past
Pierce’s head. The seniors stopped and held a council of war.
“Quit that, you kids,” shouted Ben threateningly.
“We’ll come up there and give you fellows a good licking,” added Pierce.
“Come on!” jeered Lanny, the joy of battle thrilling him. “Try it!”
They did try it, but such a shower of snowballs met them as soon as
they set foot on the steps that they thought better of it. For a
minute or so they fashioned missiles and retaliated, but throwing up
at the platform was difficult work and their snowballs either sailed
harmlessly overhead or wasted themselves against the boards. Then two
boys with a toboggan came into sight, running hard, and Ben hailed them.
“Come on, you fellows! The kids have got the slide!”
The newcomers paused without answering.
“It’s Cupples and Crandall,” whispered Bert joyously. At that moment
the meaning of the pause was explained. Ben and Pierce found
themselves attacked from a new quarter, while from the platform came
a pitiless shower of snowballs. Discretion proved the better part of
valor. Ben and Pierce scampered away and, with a shout, Cupples and
Crandall rushed up the stairs and joined the invaders at the top.
“Did they get you?” asked Lanny. “The whole crowd went down to catch
you.”
“No, we saw them first,” panted Crandall with a grin, “and ran like the
dickens. They’re after us, though. Come on, Harold, let’s go down again
before they catch us.”
“If you do that they’ll get you sure,” said Bert. “Stay up here with us
and we’ll stand them off. We can do it easily. There are some of them
now.”
Four figures came out of the darkness and were joined, at a respectful
distance from the platform by Ben and Pierce.
“They’ll try to rush us,” muttered Bert. “Got plenty of snowballs,
fellows?”
“What do you say, Harold?” asked Crandall.
“Oh, we’ll stay and help the kids,” answered Cupples, beginning to make
snowballs as fast as he could. “Pull the toboggan up, Cran, and put it
across the top of the slide there. We can get behind it if we need to.
Say, fellows, there isn’t much snow up here. First thing we know we’ll
be out of ammunition.”
“Kid, you gather all the snow you can find,” directed Bert, “and pile
it back of the toboggan.”
“I want to fight,” demurred Kid.
“Well, you can fight, too. Go ahead. I’ll help you until they start for
us.”
“They’ll wait until the other three fellows come,” said Cupples. “We’ll
have to shoot straight, fellows. Don’t waste your shots now.”
“We won’t,” muttered Lanny. “Don’t you worry.”
“There are the rest of them,” said Crandall, patting a fine, soggy
snowball into shape. “Get ready, fellows.”
“Hooray!” shrieked Kid, “paste them, paste them!”
The enemy, nine strong, started across the snow toward the foot of the
incline. On the platform the defenders lined up and waited. Fortunately
for them the attackers were forced to come up in single file, since the
steps were only about eighteen inches wide. Ben led the way, Perkins
at his heels and the others behind, yelling fearsomely.
“Wait till they’re on the steps,” counseled Cupples, “and then give it
to ’em! Now!”
Six snowballs sped down at the enemy, three of the number taking effect
on Ben. Ben shook his head angrily and came on. Then a lucky shot by
Lanny struck him square on the chin, he faltered, slipped against
the railing, and Perkins took his place. By that time the shots were
falling thick and fast and there was a steady stream of snowballs.
To advance in the face of such a fire was out of the question, and
Perkins, ducking his head, turned and crowded back, putting the line
into confusion. One of the day boys slipped and went to the bottom
on his back. Ben, too, was in flight, and in a moment the enemy had
withdrawn again to a safe distance.
“Hurrah!” shrieked Kid, jumping about on the platform. “We gave it to
’em!”
“Hurry up, fellows!” called Cupples. “More snowballs. They’ll be back
in a minute.”
“We can keep them off all night,” said Bert, “as long as they come up
one at a time. That was a dandy shot of yours, Lanny.”
“They’re coming again,” said Small nervously. “Let’s make terms with
them before it’s too late, Lanny.”
“Make terms!” cried Lanny. “Never!”
Then they came toward the slide again, but more cautiously this time,
halting just out of accurate range and then, at a signal, rushing
for the steps and up them, Ben again in the lead. Up and up they
came, slipping and faltering under the rain of missiles, but doggedly
winning the ascent. Now there was a scant ten feet between Ben and
the platform. Behind him, Pierce and Perkins and the others were
crowding, their faces and bodies blotched with snow. They were angry
clear through and met every broadside of shot stoically, stubbornly
determined to gain the summit and wreak revenge on the foe. The
garrison behind the toboggan fought furiously. Snowballs slammed down
upon lowered heads and sped past protecting arms to spread against
necks and faces. The invaders made no effort to retaliate, since it was
difficult enough to make the ascent as it was; to have attempted to
throw snowballs would have invited utter disaster.
“Let ’em have it!” cried Cupples, stooping for more ammunition and
discovering that only a few snowballs remained behind the breastworks.
The file still came on, Ben a mass of white where the snowballs had
struck and clung to his head and body.
“Who’s got any snowballs?” gasped Lanny.
“All gone,” answered Bert, desperately searching the icy boards for
snow. Small and Kid, at the other side of the platform, farthest from
the steps, were still firing, Small wildly and ineffectually. Lanny ran
across and pushed him aside. Kid shouted shrilly and got in a splendid
shot against Perkins’s ear that made that youth stagger against the
railing.
Then the firing diminished and consternation seized the garrison. Their
ammunition was gone! Ben gave a roar of triumph and plunged up the few
remaining steps, and it would have been all over with the defenders
then and there had not Bert been visited by a brilliant idea. Seizing
the toboggan, he swung it around to the steps and, holding the rope,
sent it swiftly down. It caught Ben unawares and swept his feet from
under him. He clutched wildly at the railing, saved himself from an
actual fall, but kicked Pierce so savagely that the latter emitted a
shriek and fell to his knees. Perkins stumbled, slipped, and spread the
wildest disorder. The last of the snowballs were fired, a final volley
that decided the fortunes of the battle. The enemy wavered, turned.
Ben, recovering his equilibrium, strove to hold his regiment, but all
in vain. Down the steps they fled, and Ben, finding himself deserted,
followed.
The garrison gave a shout of triumph. Kid jumped and squealed. And then
Small, venturing too near the edge of the slide, turned the retreat
into a veritable rout. Losing his footing, he sat down suddenly and
forcibly just over the edge, and, with a shriek of despair, shot down
the ice-covered trough on his back, legs waving, hands grasping at the
empty air and voice raised in wild cries. The enemy heard and supposing
that the entire garrison was hot upon their heels, plunged down the
rest of the incline in mad flight and scattered over the snow below
just as Small, going now at a good twenty miles an hour, flew by!
At the top of the slide the rest of the garrison leaned weakly against
the railing and laughed until the tears came. Kid was so overcome that
he slipped to the floor and rolled over and over, emitting strange,
gurgling sounds. Far down the slide, Small, an indistinct figure in the
darkness, crawled over the bank of the slide, struggled to his feet,
and, with one brief glance in the direction of the enemy, streaked
across the snow toward school. Three figures gave chase and presently
Small was in the hands of the enemy and Ben advanced toward the slide,
one mittened hand held aloft.
“Flag of truce, fellows!” he called.
“All right,” answered Cupples. “What do you want?”
“We’ve taken Small prisoner,” announced Ben, “and we’re going to wash
his face with snow unless you give in.”
A howl of protest from Small pierced the air.
“We’ll yield with all the honors of war,” announced Cupples after a
hurried conference.
“What’s that?” asked Ben.
“You fellows are not to touch us,” said Cupples, “and we’re to have the
use of this slide whenever we want it.”
“We won’t touch you,” replied Ben, “and you and Crandall can slide
here. But those other little ruffians must keep off.”
Cupples looked inquiringly at Crandall. The latter shook his head.
“Tell him they must let the juniors slide too.”
Cupples did so. Ben conferred. Small, captive between two of the day
boys, waited anxiously. At last Ben turned toward the platform again.
“All right,” he said. “We agree. But you’ve spoiled our fun and you
must let us have the slide the rest of the time to-night.”
“That’s all right,” agreed Bert and Lanny in a breath.
Cupples graciously informed Ben that the terms were satisfactory.
“Then you fellows come down,” said Ben.
“You release your prisoner,” said Cupples.
An instant later Small was scooting homeward again as fast as his legs
would carry him. Then the garrison evacuated, Bert, Lanny and Kid
marching gravely down the steps and Cupples and Crandall flying down
the slide on their toboggan. The three juniors encountered the enemy at
the foot of the incline. Ben scowled wrathfully.
“You kids think you’re mighty smart, don’t you?” he sneered.
Bert and Lanny smiled sweetly, but forebore to make reply as they
turned homeward. Kid, however, irrepressible even in the face of
danger, executed a weird dance in the snow.
“Io triumphus!” exulted Kid.
* * * * *
Mr. Folsom was standing in front of the fireplace in the hall, watch in
hand, when they entered.
“Ha!” he said. “A close shave, Grey. It is thirty seconds past nine.
Where are the others?”
“On the slide, sir. May I call them? I――I guess they don’t know how
late it is.”
“No,” said Mr. Folsom, grimly, snapping his watch shut, “I will attend
to them myself.”
“Gee,” whispered Lanny as the teacher went in search of his hat and
coat, “that means house bounds to-morrow morning for all of them! My,
won’t they be peeved!”
“O joy! O glee!” cried Kid. “We’ll have the slide to ourselves!”