l waited for the outcome with keen interest. The bob owned by Peter
Slade was still two lengths in advance, and it looked very much as if
Peter would be the victor.

But with the passing of the last ridge the Rovers' bob seemed to become
endowed with new life. With no drag on the runners, it shot forward with
a speed that surprised even Dick. Steadily it gained on the other bob,
until, when the end of the course was but fifty yards away, the two were
almost side by side.

"Let her out, Pete!" cried one of the boys on Slade's bob, but Peter
could do no more.

"It's a tie race!" called several, but hardly had the words been spoken
when the Rovers' bob shot ahead, and reached the end of the course a
winner by twenty-five feet.

"Hurrah! the Rovers win!"

"I tell you what, you can't get ahead of Dick Rover and his crowd!"

Peter Slade was much chagrinned to have the victory snatched from him,
and began to mutter something about the race not being a fair one.

"I agree with you, it was not fair," answered Sam. "Hans' tippet caught
under our runners and held us up a good deal."

"If it hadn't been for that we would have won by three times the
distance," added Tom.

"Humph!" muttered Peter Slade. "I guess you jumped off once and pushed."

"I did not," answered Tom, hotly.

"I think you did."

"And I say I didn't," and now Tom doubled up his fists.

"Oh, don't quarrel," put in Larry, who was near. "If Peter isn't
satisfied why not race over again?"

"I am willing," answered Dick, promptly.

"I'm tired of riding," said Slade. "I--er--I am not feeling extra well
and it shakes me up too much."

"Then let some of the others use the bob."

"No, it needs overhauling, and I am going to have it fixed up," was
Slade's answer, and began to move off toward the Hall, dragging his bob
after him.

"He's afraid to race," said George. "My! how mad it makes some fellows
to get beaten!"

It may be mentioned here that Peter Slade had been one of Tad Sobber's
cronies, and now that Sobber was gone he took it on his shoulders to
fill the bully's place in the particular set to which he belonged. He
was a quick-tempered youth, and had been in more than one fight since
his arrival at Putnam Hall.

The boys who could not ride on the hill amused themselves by making some
big snowballs, which they allowed to roll down another hill. One of the
snowballs made was fully eight feet in diameter, and it was a great
sight to see this g