The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge | Page 3

and trying to defend himself against the jumping up
of Snap, who seemed to want to hug the boy with his paws.
"Stop laughing! Help me!" ordered Nan, who was already trying to lift

Flossie from her snowy bed.
"I can't help laughing--Freddie looked so funny when he went over,"
said Bert.
"There's no danger of smothering, though. That snow is as dry as sand.
Here you go, Freddie. Give me your hand and I'll pull you out."
In a few seconds the smaller Bobbsey twins stood beside their larger
brother and sister, while Snap capered about them, barking loudly and
wagging his tail.
"Oh, he's got loose, and the harness is all broken," said Freddie, and
tears of disappointment stood in his blue eyes.
"Never mind," said Bert. "I'll help you make a better harness to-
morrow, Freddie. That one wasn't strong enough for Snap, anyhow. I'll
fix it differently."
"Oh, but we were going to have such a fine ride!" said Flossie, who
was also ready to cry. The smaller twins were only about five years old,
so it might have been expected.
"Well, come on and go coasting with Bert and me," said Nan, as she
patted her little sister's head." We're going over on the long hill. It's fine
there, and you'll have just as much fun as if you had Snap to pull you."
"Shall we go, Freddie?" asked Flossie, who generally depended on him
to start their amusements.
"I guess so," he answered. "This harness is all busted, anyhow."
Sadly he looked at the tangled strings and straps fast to the sled, where
Snap had broken away from them. The harness Freddie had made with
such care was all broken now.
"Never mind," said Bert again. "I'll make you a better one to-morrow,
Freddie. Come along now, and we'll have some fun. And when we get
through coasting I'll buy everybody a hot chocolate soda."

"Really?" asked Flossie, her sorrow forgotten now.
"Sure thing," promised Bert.
"Come on, then, Freddie," said his little sister. "We can harness Snap
up to-morrow."
The useless harness was taken to the Bobbsey home, not far away, and
then the four twins--the two sets of them, as it were--started for the
coasting hill, Flossie and Freddie having one sled between them, and
Nan and Bert each having one of their own.
On the way to the hill they met many of their friends, also bound for
the same place. School was just out and the boys and girls were eager
to have a good time in the snow.
"There's Charley Mason!" exclaimed Bert, seeing a boy he knew.
"Hello, Charley!" he called. "Going coasting?"
"Sure. Where's the big bob?" For some time before this Bert and
Charley had made, in partnership, a large bob sled.
"Oh, I didn't know you'd be out, or I'd have brought it," replied Bert.
"Anyhow, I promised Nan I'd coast with her."
"Oh, that's all right. I guess the hill will be too crowded for a bob,
anyhow. Danny Rugg was taking his over, though, for I saw him and
some of his crowd hauling it from his barn a little while ago."
"Well, let 'em. We can get ours later. Got a new sled?" and Bert looked
admiringly at the one Charley was pulling.
"No, it's only my old one painted over. But it makes it look like new."
"We had Snap hitched up, but he broke loose," said Freddie. "But we're
going to have a stronger harness to-morrow."
"That's good," said Charley, with a broad smile.

Soon the children were on the hill. There was a large crowd of coasters
there, and fun was at its height. There was merry shouting and laughter,
and several spills and upsets. As Bert had said, the hill was very much
crowded.
"I thought it would be no good for a bob," he remarked.
"There goes Danny Rugg now!" exclaimed Charley." He's giving
orders to everyone."
"He'd better not give any to me," said Bert, in a quiet voice, but with
determination in his tones.
"Oh, Bert!" exclaimed Nan. "Please don't have any fuss; will you?"
"Not on my part," said Bert "But if Danny Rugg thinks he can boss me
he is mistaken."
It was evident that Danny liked to play master. He could be heard
giving orders to this one and the other one to get out of the way, to pull
his bob around in place, and then to shove it off with its load of boys
and girls.
Now, though Danny was a bully, some of the children were friendly
with him for the sake of getting a ride on his sled, which was a large
and expensive one.
Bert and Nan, and Flossie and Freddie, soon were coasting with their
friends, having a good