They came near running into us
the other day."

"But the professor called 'em down for it," said the fourth girl dragging
the bobsled, who was a big, good-natured looking girl with a mouthful of
big white teeth and a rather vacuous expression of countenance when she
was not speaking.

"He ought to send Linda Riggs and her friends down first," Nan Sherwood
suggested.

"No, ma'am!" said Bess Harley, shrilly.

"We're here ahead of 'em all. We can go first, can't we, Professor
Krenner?"

"Certainly, my dear," responded the professor. "Look over the sled,
Walter, and see that it is all right."

The handsome sled was almost new and there could be nothing the matter
with it, Walter was sure. Other parties of girls from the Hall, dragging
bobsleds, were appearing now. They were all the bigger girls of the
school, for the younger ones, or "primes," as they were designated, had
their own particular hill to slide on, nearer the Hall.

Dr. Beulah Prescott, principal of Lakeview Hall, believed in out-of-door
sports for her girls; but they were not allowed to indulge in coasting
or sleighing or skating or any other sport, unattended. Professor
Krenner had general oversight of the coasting on Pendragon Hill, because
he lived in a queerly furnished cabin at the foot of it and on the shore
of the lake.

He marshalled the sleds in line now and took out his watch. "Three
minutes apart remember, young ladies," he said. "Are you going with your
sister's sled, Walter?"

"This first time," said the boy, laughing. "Grace won't slide if I don't,
although Nan knows how to steer just as well as I do."

"Of course she does," said Bess, with assurance. "We don't need a boy
around," she added saucily.

"They're very handy animals to have at times," said the professor, drily.
"Wait a bit, Miss Riggs!" he added sharply. "First come, first served, if
you please. You are number three. Wait your turn."

"Well, aren't those girls ever going to start?" snapped the tall girl,
richly dressed in furs, who had come up with a party of chums and a very
handsome "bob."

Professor Krenner was quite used to Linda's over-bearing ways, and so
were her fellow-pupils. They made the rich and purse-proud girl no more
beloved by her mates. But she could always gather about her a few
satellites--girls who felt proud to be counted the intimates of the
daughter of a railroad president, and who enjoyed Linda Riggs' bounty.

Not that there were many girls at