employing the time in preparing piles of snowballs, and
presently the girls came rushing back bringing the musical instruments
mentioned by Walter, and a jews-harp and accordeon beside.

These were quickly distributed and the band struck up--not one tune but
several; "Hail Columbia," "Yankee Doodle," and "Star Spangled
Banner;"--having forgotten in their haste to agree upon a tune.

The music, if music it could be called--was greeted with roars of
laughter, and ceased at once.

"Oh this will never do!" cried Maud; "we must settle upon some one of
the national airs. Shall it be 'Yankee Doodle'?"

"Yes," they all said, and began again, with less discord but not keeping
very good time.

Harold and his party were in the fort, a huge heap of balls beside them.

"Now man your guns, my lads, and be ready to give a vigorous repulse to
the approaching foe," he said.

Chester had drawn up his men in line of battle. Max was among them.

"Wait!" he cried, "I'm going into the fort."

"What! going to desert in the face of the enemy?" queried Chester.

"Yes; I can't fight against that flag," pointing to it with uplifted
hand. "Fire on the stars and stripes? _Never_! 'The flag of our Union
forever!'"

"Oh is that all? Well, we're not going to fight against it, my boy; it's
ours, and we're going to take it from them and carry it in triumph at
the head of our column."

"No, sir; its ours," retorted Harold, "and we stand ready to defend it
to the last gasp. Come on; take it if you can! We dare you to do it?"

"Up then and at 'em, boys!" shouted Chester. "Go double quick and charge
right over the breast works!"

The command was instantly obeyed, the works were vigorously assaulted,
and as vigorously defended, snowballs flying thick and fast in both
directions.

Max leaped over the breast works and seized the flag. Harold tore it
from his hands, threw him over into the snow on the outside, and
replanted the flag on the top of the breast work.

Max picked himself up, ran round to the other side of the fort, and
finding Harold and the other large boys among the defenders, each
engaged in a hand to hand scuffle with a besieger, so that only little
Walter was left to oppose him, again leaped over the barrier, seized the
flag, leaped back and sped away toward the house waving it in triumph
and shouting, "Hurrah! victory is ours!"

"Not so fast young man!" shouted back Herbert, bounding over the breast
works and giving chase