ows, Captain Putnam did not mind this,
and from his office the master of the Hall and George Strong watched the
sport.

"Makes one feel young again," remarked the captain to his first
assistant.

"I'd half like to go out myself," answered George Strong.

"I remember one year we had a great snowball fight at West Point," went
on the captain. "It was carried out in regular army fashion and lasted
half a day. Our side was victorious, but we had to fight desperately to
win. I was struck in the chin and the ear, and three of the cadets were
knocked unconscious. But it was good practice, for it showed us
something of what a hand-to-hand struggle meant."

The snow came down all that day and night, and by the following morning
covered the ground to the depth of about a foot. It was somewhat moist
and first-class for the making of snow men and snowballs.

"Let's make a statue of Captain Putnam," said Fred, and this was done,
the statue being nearly ten feet high. It must be confessed it was not a
very good likeness, but it looked remarkably fierce with some straws for
a moustache, a flat wooden stick for a sword, and an old army cap on the
top of the head. When he saw it, Captain Putnam laughed as heartily as
anybody. Old as he was getting, he never allowed himself to forget the
time when he was a boy.

Some distance from the Hall was a fair-sized hill and this was used by
the cadets for coasting. As soon as school was over that day the lads
brought out their sleds and bobs, and soon the hill was filled with
boys, their merry laughter ringing far and wide. The Rovers had a big
bob and this was used by the three and also by several of their friends.

"I'll race you!" shouted Dick, who was in charge of the bob. He
addressed another student named Peter Slade. Slade had a big bob and had
been boasting that this could beat any other bob on the hill.

"All right," answered Slade. He was a lanky youth, rather lazy, and
given to much boasting.

It was soon arranged that each bob should carry six boys, and Fred, Hans
and Songbird went with the Rovers. The two bobs lined up side by side,
and Larry Colby gave the word to go.

"We're off!" shouted Tom, giving a shove, and leaping on behind.

At first the two bobs kept side by side. The slide was in fine
condition, and all the other cadets lined up on either side to watch the
outcome of the race.

"Hurrah for the Rovers!"

"Hurrah for Peter Slade!"

"May the best bob win!"