ming
a promontory that overlooked the surrounding land. Thus the chute,
after leaving the base of it, continued in a straight line down stream.

The sport, thrilling as it was, however, grew tame for Young Joe. He
wanted something different. He had brought along, also, a steel-shod
sled, known to the boys as a "pointer," because its forward ends ran out
to sharp points, protected by the turning up of the steel runners. He
declared himself ready to make the descent on that.

"Don't be a fool, Joe," remonstrated his elder brother; "you can't
handle that here. You'll go so fast you can't steer it."

If Young Joe had had any misgivings and doubts upon the matter before,
however, this remonstrance settled them. A little opposition was all
that was needed to set him off. Modestly calling the attention of all
the others to the fact that he was about to attempt a feat never before
tried, Young Joe lay at full length upon the sled and pushed off.

Certainly, never before had any object shot down the mountain side at
the speed Young Joe was travelling. Fortunately for him, the sides of
the chute were sufficiently high to keep the sled within bounds, and on
its course. The sled made the descent in safety and darted out across
the surface of the stream, still within the chute. Then something
unexpected happened.

The chute had been designed for toboggans, and continued only as far as
the fastest one of them would travel. Watching Young Joe's daring feat,
the boys saw him make the descent and speed along the level, until he
reached the spot where the toboggans usually stopped. And there, also,
Young Joe's sled did stop, its sharp points digging into the crust and
sticking fast.

But not Young Joe. Like an arrow fired from a crossbow, he left the sled
and continued on over the icy surface of the crust downstream. It was a
smooth, glare surface, and he slid as though it were greased. Far down
stream, they saw him finally come to a stop--the most astonished youth
that ever slid down a hill. He ended in a little drift of snow blown
against a projecting log, and arose, sputtering.

Strangely enough, thanks to thick mittens, and a cap drawn down to cover
his face, he was not even scratched. He picked himself up, looked about
him, dazed for a moment, and then walked slowly back.

And after all, the upshot of Young Joe's experiment was, that sleds
became popular on the chute, and almost came to exclude the toboggan;
only the boys c