pened and the light from the kitchen shone on the
toboggan slide. The light also showed Tom and Ted in a mixed-up mass at
the bottom of the slide, each one holding a tin pail.

[Illustration: "WE BOTH WENT DOWN THE SLIDE TOGETHER WITH THE PAILS."
Page 38]

And as Mr. and Mrs. Martin and Janet and Nora hastened out they saw that
both boys were dripping wet, and as they untangled their legs from each
other and stood up, it could be seen that they were now shivering, for
the night was cold.

"What in the world has happened?" asked Mother Martin.

"And what in the world have you been doing?" asked Daddy Martin, rather
sternly.

It was very plain to be seen that Ted and Tom had been doing something.

"We--we--now--we were--" began Ted.

"Don't stand here to tell us! Get in the house and into dry clothes!"
cried Ted's mother. "You'll catch your deaths of colds out here! Get in
the house now and explain later! Are either of you hurt?" she asked, for
she noticed that each boy was limping.

"Not much," answered Tom, trying to smile. "We just tumbled down the
toboggan slide, that's all, and the water--"

"Never mind now; tell us later," said Mr. Martin.

And when Tom and Ted had taken off their wet clothes, Tom being given an
extra suit of Ted's, the two boys, sitting by the fire, told what had
happened.

"We wanted some real ice on the toboggan slide," explained Ted. "Rubbing
candles on your sled runners is all right, but we wanted some real ice.
It didn't snow, so I said, 'let's pour water on our slide and let it
freeze to-night, 'cause it's cold.'"

"And did you?" asked his father, trying not to smile.

"Yes, Daddy, we did. But I guess it isn't frozen yet," answered Ted. "We
were spilling pails of water down on the slide. We stood on the top
platform where Trouble fell off of, and then, all of a sudden, I
slipped, and--"

"Yes, and he grabbed hold of me, and then I slipped!" broke in Tom, with
a laugh. "And we both went down the slide together with the pails. It
was almost as slippery as if there was ice on it," he added.

"Yes, it was slippery all right," chuckled Ted. "And if it freezes
to-night we'll have packs of fun to-morrow."

The thought of the fun they might have seemed to make the boys forget
their present troubles.

"Well, I'm glad it isn't any worse," said Mrs. Martin. "You boys should
be careful on that slide. Just think! You might have been hurt!"

"Oh, you can't get hurt on that slide," de