, looking back, saw it, and warned the
steersman.

"He's coming, Danny," he cried.

"Oh, he is; eh? Well, he won't pass me," and Danny steered his sled
over directly in front of Bert's, almost causing Bert to collide with
him.

"Shame!" cried some watchers. "That wasn't fair!"

"Let him keep on his own side then," warned Danny.

But this mean trick did Danny little good for, though Bert was forced
to go to the right, to avoid crashing into Danny, he, most
unexpectedly, found good coasting there, and he shot ahead until his
sled was even with that of the bully's.

"Better look out, Danny," warned the boy sitting directly back of him.

"He's crowding us fast."

"Oh, it's only a spurt. We'll soon be at the bottom of the hill and
win."

On and on came Bert's bob, the Flier. It was a little ahead of Danny's
now, and the latter, seeing this, steered over, thinking the going was
better there.

"Look out!" warned Bert. "Who's crowding over now?"

"Well, I've got a right here!" snarled Danny.

But Bert knew his rights also, and would not give away. He held to his
place, and Danny dared not come too close. Then, as Bert found himself
on smooth, hardpacked snow, he steered as straight as he could. More
and more ahead of Danny he went, until he was fully in front of him.

"We're going to win! We're going to win!" cried Bert's friends.
"We're going to win the race!"

Danny was wild with anger. He steered his sled over sharply, hoping to
get on the same track as was Bert and so pass him. But it was not to
be. Danny took too sudden a turn, and the next instant his bob
overturned, spilling everyone off.

There was a cry of surprise at the accident, and some of those on
Bert's sled looked back. Bert himself looked straight ahead as a
steersman always should.

"Danny's upset!" cried Charley.

"I'm sorry!" said Bert. "Now he'll claim the race wasn't fair."

And that is what Danny did when he picked himself up, and walked down
to meet Bert, whose bob got safely to the foot of the hill, and so won
the race.

"Aw, I'd have beaten if you hadn't gotten in my way so I had to steer
over," cried Danny.

"Don't talk that way now," said Irving, who, with Frank Cobb had come
to the end of the hill. "Bert beat you fair and square."

"Aw, well," grumbled Danny.

"I'll race over again, if you like," offered Bert.

"Yes, and do the same thing," grumbled Danny. "I will not. I know my
sled is the best."