." He was thinking
how many times he would ring the bell on the bob when he came to a
street crossing.

When the Bobbsey twins, little and big, came out of school the snow was
coming down more thickly. The flakes were not so large, but there were
more of them, and they blew here and there in the wind, drifting into
piles that would make the shoveling off of walks hard the next day.

There were just about enough of the white crystals on the ground, when
the school children came out to make a few snowballs, and this they at
once proceeded to do.

Danny Rugg, who had not forgiven Bert for the many times the Bobbsey
lad had gotten the best of him, threw a ball at Freddie. But Bert was
on the watch, and managed to jump up and catch the white missile in his
hand. Then he threw it at Danny, striking him on the neck.

"Here! Where you throwin'?" demanded Danny, in angry tones.

"The same place you are," replied Bert, not a bit afraid. "Good
weather for ice cream, Danny," he added, and Danny went off in an angry
fashion.

Other boys and girls too, threw the snowballs, but it was in
goodnatured fun, and no one was hurt. Some rough boys did use hard
snowballs, but they were soon left to play among themselves, while the
others amused themselves with soft and fluffy missiles, which, breaking
as they hit, scattered the white stuff all over, harming no one.

The girls, while they played at this sport, also indulged in washing
the faces of each other. With handsful of snow they rubbed the ears
and cheeks of their chums so that there came a healthy glow to the skin.

One or two children, who lived near the school, ran in their yards as
soon as the classes were dismissed, and brought out their sleds. But
the snow was too thin to pack well and at best the coasting was not
good.

"But it soon will be," declared Bert, as he and Charley walked along.
"We must finish our bob in a hurry."

"All right. We'll work on it late tonight."

And so the sound of hammer, plane and saw was heard in the old barn,
where the sled was being built, until nearly ten o'clock.

"She ought to go very fast!" exclaimed Charley, as they paused to look
at their sled.

"I'm sure she will," agreed Bert. "And we'll put some carpet on the
top of the main board, for a cushion for some of the girls." His chum
agreed that this would be a good plan, and so the bob was made very
attractive for the girls.

Bert and Charley took the big sled out fo