y. "Remember about the windows and don't aim at any
of the girls, and you should have no trouble."

"I guess the girls will be in it," said Bobby sadly. "My sister Meg
wants to play, and I s'pose half the girls in school will want to come
in."

Mr. Carter laughed, but offered no advice or sympathy, as he pressed
the signal for the assembly. Girls, Bobby thought, joining the patient
Meg in the hall, always managed to have their way; a fellow might as
well give up to them from the first.

After assembly came lessons, and, finally, recess.

"Go out into the fresh air," ordered Miss Mason, who taught the room
Meg and Bobby were in. "It isn't cold out--not too cold. No, Frances,
you can't stay in and draw."

Miss Mason believed in fresh air, and she usually drove her class out
into the yard, no matter what the weather, telling them that exercise
would keep them warm. Those who tried to stay in the warm schoolroom
were invariably disappointed, for Miss Mason opened every window as
wide as it would go and let in the fresh cold air.

"Come on, Frances," called Meg from the doorway. "We're going to play
something new."

Frances Smith followed Meg reluctantly, but when she heard about the
snowball fight, she was immediately interested.

"Mr. Carter said we could," announced Bobby to the boys. "We must
remember and aim away from the windows and not hit the girls. Let's
begin to build the forts now."

"We'll have to have a general," said Tim Roon quickly. "I'll be
general of the Americans."

"Huh," retorted Bobby. "What do you think the other side is going to
be? My men are Americans, too."

"Who said you were a general?" jeered Tim.

"Well, he is," replied Palmer Davis heatedly. "Isn't he, fellows? I
guess Bobby proposed this. Come on, who wants to be on Bobby's side?"

"I do," cried Meg instantly.

"So do I," said Frances Smith.

"Girls!" Tim Roon's tone was one of deepest disgust. "For goodness'
sake, who ever heard of girls being in a snowball fight?"

"Well, we're going to be in this one," Meg assured him with spirit.

"You can't," said Tim.

"Can, too," insisted Meg. "We don't want to fight on your side,
anyway."

The bell rang before they had this settled, and when Mr. Carter stopped
Bobby in the hall to ask him how the plans were going, Bobby had to
confess that they had done little beyond dispute over the names for the
sides and whether the girls should be allowed to play.

"It'