y compare notes
afterwards as to the amazing sensations they experienced during these
moments.

When the toboggan had finally brought itself to a standstill Ridgwell
extricated himself and viewed the snow-powdered spaces in front of them
a trifle apprehensively. Bounding along towards them raced a pack of
animals. Their eyes were glistening and their tongues hanging out.

"Wolves!" muttered Ridgwell. "Oh! I say, Chris, I don't think I quite
care about meeting wolves. Do you? They don't look very friendly
either, by the way they are coming along."

"It's the stray dogs," shouted Christine; "and look, Carry-on-Merry is
putting little teams of them into sleighs to draw us along."

"Sleigh races about to start," called the Lion. "Take your seats,
shake the reins and you will hear the silver bells tinkle. The first
sleigh to reach the farthest pine-trees wins the race. Off you go."

Away flew the dogs, drawing the children over the powdered snow tracks.

After the race Carry-on-Merry collected all the children together.

"I propose a snowball match," grinned Carry-on-Merry. "Gamble, Grin,
Grub, and myself upon one side, against all you children."

"Ho, ho, ho!" laughed the Pleasant-Faced Lion. "My goodness, what a
beating all you children are going to have. Why, Carry-on-Merry and
his lot can manufacture snowballs as quick as lightning."

The battle commenced without delay, and it was a terrific conflict.

Hundreds of little snowballs whizzed through the air.

"Ha! ha!" laughed the Pleasant-Faced Lion, "the children are
retreating. Carry-on-Merry, Gamble, Grin, and Grub, I believe you are
the champion snowballers of the world. I think myself you must have
acquired the gift from some unusually impish urchins whose methods you
have closely observed round Westminster way. I consider your skill
quite in accordance with the best street traditions."

The children were eventually snowballed to a standstill, and flinging
away their remaining ammunition rolled themselves over on the snow to
avoid any more of the unerring missiles of Carry-on-Merry and his band.

"Give in," demanded the Lion pleasantly.

"Never!" laughed the children.

"But you're beaten, you know," insisted the Lion. "Carry-on-Merry, you
can take them all prisoners and escort them to the Pavilion of Gold."

Even whilst the children were tumbling in the snow the atmosphere
became inky black.

The darkness was not in any way alarming;