es right through the tunnel and up over the bridge. I wonder how fast
it can run."

"That's a dandy mitt there," said the other, pointing to a baseball
outfit. "I wouldn't be afraid to stop any kind of a ball with that on."

"Wish my dad would get me a new sled like that flyer," sighed Toad. "I
finished mine last winter when I ran into that tree with you and Herbie
on board."

"You surely did," was the laughing answer. "I remember how we all went
flying head first into a snow drift."

"There's a nice pocket knife," was Toad's next remark. "I mean the one
with the pearl handle, just next to that doll with the pink dress on."

"Oh!" exclaimed Reddy, "here's what just suits me," catching sight, for
the first time, of a punching bag.

"How do you work it?"

"Why, you see there's an elastic rope on each end of it, and one of them
you tie to a ring in the floor and the other to something overhead. Then
when you give it a punch it comes back to you with a bang."

"Well, I'd rather have a football; then maybe we could get up a regular
team," remarked Toad.

"I'll bet all those reals would cost about ten dollars," ventured the
other, pointing to a box of marbles toward the front of the window. "If
I was rich I'd buy them."

"What for? You have plenty. You won nearly all mine away from me.
Look!" he added in a low voice, "there goes Herbie's mother into the
store. Let's see what she buys."

"Hello, Daddy," greeted both the boys, as old Mr. Williams, with his
white hair, red cheeks and dancing blue eyes, came to the doorway of the
shop and smiled at them.

"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!" he replied. "Have you been good
boys?"

"I should say we have," cried Toad. "Everybody's good before Christmas."

"Well, run along home then, and I'll tell your mas just what you want,"
promised Daddy. "Herbie's ma's in here now and she doesn't want you boys
to know what she buys."

"All right," answered Reddy. "Don't forget to say I want a punching bag
and a pair of skates."

"And I want a new sled," chimed in Toad, as they both started off.

"Shucks, I didn't see half the things, did you?" protested Reddy.

"Oh, well, we can come down again this afternoon," was the cheering
answer. "Come on over to my house, anyway," he called as they parted.

CHAPTER II

THE SNOW FIGHT

By evening the snow that Toad and Reddy had so eagerly awaited had come,
and by morning many inches had fallen. A crowd of boys had gather