velled aside. Bobby found these waist-deep.
The lawn itself was only knee-deep, but it offered a beautiful smooth
surface. Duke appeared about this time and frisked back and forth madly,
his forefeet extended, his chest to the earth, his face illuminated
with a joyous doggy grin. He would run directly at Bobby, as though to
collide with him, swerve at the last moment and go tearing away in
circles, his hind-legs tucked well under him. The smooth white surface
of the lawn became sadly marred. Bobby was vexed at this and uttered
fierce commands to which Duke paid not the slightest attention. The
little boy made patterns in which he stepped conscientiously, pretending
he could not "get off the track." Of course he tried to make snowballs,
but tossed from him in disgust the feather-light result.

"No packing," said he.

About this time Martin reappeared, after his own breakfast, to finish
cleaning the walks. Bobby begged the fire shovel and assisted.

When lunch time came Bobby entered the storm-porch and stood patiently
while he was brushed off. The entrance to the warm air inside promptly
turned the crystals still adhering to the interstices of the knit
garments into glittering drops of water. Bobby made tiny little puddles
where he disrobed--to his delight and Amanda's disgust. The damp clothes
were hung to dry behind the kitchen stove, and Bobby sat down to a
tremendous lunch.

After lunch Bobby went out-doors again, but the novelty had worn off and
his main thought was one of impatience for three o'clock to release his
friends from school. The snow was not yet packed well enough to make the
sleighing very good, but everybody in town was out. Cutters, their
thills to one side so the driver could see past the horse; two-seated
higher sleighs; the gorgeous plumed and luxurious conveyances of the
elite--all these streamed by, packing the street every moment into a
better and better surface.

And then, before Bobby had realized it could be so late, a first, faint,
long-drawn and peculiar shout began far away; grew steadily in volume.
Bobby ran out to the middle of the road.

This street began at the top of a low, long hill eight blocks above the
Orde place and ended three blocks below. Coming toward him rapidly Bobby
saw a long dark object from which the sound issued. In a moment, slowing
every foot because of the level ground and the still heavy snow surface
of the road-bed, it passed him. He saw a ten-foot pair of b