hot close to the bobs ahead.

"Out! out! out! out!" he cried in a sharp stacatto--very different from
the general long-drawn out warning.

The bobs swerved and he darted by with lofty and oblivious superiority.

In the meantime another boy had stepped forward carrying his sled
directly in front of him, a hand on either side. He, too, ran forward,
but cast himself and sled with a mighty crash into the road. He
disappeared lying flat on his stomach, his hands grasping each a
projecting runner, his legs spread wide apart.

"Belly flop!" remarked the steersman of the next bobs, waiting. No great
speed was possible by this antiquated method, so it was necessary to
give the despised belly-flopper a good start.

Among those whose turns did not come soon was great rivalry in the
matter of sled-runners. Flat bands were negligible and assigned to
girls, quarter-rounds and half-rounds were somewhat but not much better,
although several orthodox-shaped sleds were fitted with them. As between
three-quarters and full-round spring runners, however, was room for
argument, and endless and partisan discussion obtained. This was a
matter of opinion. A question of comparison was the relative wear and
brightness of the metals. This must be caused by use only. The
employment of sandpaper would be to your small boy what--well, what
dynamiting trout would be to your fly-fisherman.

The twilight and the frost were already descending. Soon the
lamp-lighter with his torch and his little ladder came nimbly down the
street. On the down trip Bobby found his mother waiting by the gate, a
heavy shawl thrown over her head and shoulders. In the darkness, and
after the cold, pale moon had climbed the heavens, the hill continued
thronged. About eight o'clock many of the younger grown-ups arrived. But
Bobby had to go to bed, and he fell asleep with snatches of
conversation, the shriek of runners and the weird ululation of warning
ringing in his ears.

XVIII

CHRISTMAS

Within a week of Christmas Bobby suddenly awoke to the fact that he must
go shopping. He found that in ready money he possessed just one dollar
and sixty-two cents; the rest he banked at interest with his father.
With this amount he would have to purchase gifts for the four of his
immediate household, Celia and Mr. Kincaid, of course. Besides them he
would have liked to get something for Auntie Kate, and possibly Johnnie
and Carter.

Down town, whither he was allowed to