at sneak of a Mumps, for instance."

"If he was, and told on us, I'll fix him for it."

Both cadets were making snowballs near a hollow. As Ritter scraped the
snow up he uncovered several jagged stones.

"Say, look here!" he whispered, and pointed at the stones. "Let's fix
up some special snowballs for Ruddy & Company!" he added with a knowing
look at his crony.

"All right; but be careful you are not caught," answered Gus Coulter.

Both cadets got down close to the jagged stones and adroitly slipped
several of them into the snowballs they were making.

"Wait till we are pretty close," directed Ritter. "Then let drive for
all you are worth."

"Who will you aim at?"

"Ruddy and Ditmore."

"All right, I'll aim at Snow; and I'll let Ruddy have one, too."

Again came a ringing war-cry, and in a moment more the battle was
continued. Back and forth swayed the lines of cadets, first towards one
end of the field and then towards the other. It was plainly to be seen
that the commands were about evenly matched.

"How long is this battle to last?" questioned Joe Nelson.

"Half an hour," answered Fred Century, who was beside him.

"Time is almost up, then," came from Bert Field, who had been fighting
so hard he was almost out of breath.

"Five minutes more!" came from the referee. "Now then, if either side
is going to do something, pitch in!"

"Forward!" came simultaneously from both captains, and forward plunged
Company A and Company B, and the snowballs commenced to fly as thickly
as before. Neither side would give ground, and at last the two lines
were within fifteen to twenty feet of each other, right in the center of
the field.

The time was almost up, and each command was getting rid of the last of
the snowballs, when Jack saw a snowball leave Coulter's hand and sail
swiftly towards Pepper. The Imp did not see it until it was quite close
to him and failed in his attempt to dodge. The snowball hit him full in
the temple and over he went as if struck with a club.

"Pepper!" cried the young major in horror, and started to rush to his
chum's assistance, when another snowball came flying through the air. It
struck Jack over the ear, and he, too, went down, all but knocked
unconscious.

A bugle blew, and the great snowballing contest came to an end.

"A tie! A tie!" was the cry. "Neither side wins!"

"Let the two captains shake hands and call it off!" said one cadet.

"I'm willing!" cried Bart, readily.