n in the
snow outside, Skyrocket romping around with them. There were sleds at
Uncle Toby's house, and not far from it a little hill, and on this the
children were soon coasting.

"It's more fun than our toboggan," cried Ted.

"Yes, it is. But the snow isn't going to last long," observed Tom. "It's
too warm."

"It's melting now," added Harry.

Indeed the warm sun would soon make short work of this first snow, which
had come much earlier than usual. The children made up their minds to
have as much fun as they could while it lasted.

So they coasted, they made snowmen, rolled big snowballs and the boys
even started to build a snow fort, for the white flakes were wet enough
to pack well and stay in place once they were piled up.

Trouble played with the others, sometimes getting in the way and
toppling down, to pick himself up again and fall down once more.

"I havin' 'ots of fun!" he laughed.

In fact all the children were--so much so that they hardly wanted to
come in to lunch. But playing out in the air made them hungry, and soon
they were eagerly eating.

"How soon are we going to Crystal Lake?" asked Ted of Uncle Toby, as the
Curlytops and the others prepared to rush out in the snow once more.

"Oh, we'll go in a few days," was the answer. "Might as well wait for
this snow to melt, as it's bound to if this weather keeps up. It will be
easier going for the auto then, as the roads to the Lake are rather
rough."

"Well, we're having fun here," chuckled Ted, as he ran out to join his
playmates.

"Let's make a big fort!" proposed Tom, for they had made a little one,
and trampled it down in having a "battle."

"All right," agreed the other boys.

"I he'p!" offered Trouble.

"No you'll only be in the way," Ted replied. "You go over and help
sister make a snowman," he added, for this is what Jan and the other two
girls were trying to do.

This was a bit selfish on Ted's part, for he must have known that
Trouble would annoy his sister as much as the little fellow would be in
the way of himself and his chums. But brothers are this way sometimes, I
suppose.

Anyhow, Trouble toddled off to see if he could not play with Jan, Lola,
and Mary. He saw them shaping the snowman.

"I he'p!" he offered, trying to put a little ball on the snowman's coat
to serve as a "button."

"Oh, Trouble! Don't!" begged Jan. "Go over and play with the boys!
You'll spoil our snowman!"

"Ted telled me come here!" announced Will