fear of being jounced off.

"Whoop!" roared Charley. "Clear the track, for I am coming!"

"Make room for me!" sang out Bert. "We are bound to win!"

The bottom of the hill was almost reached when Charley's sled began to
crawl a bit ahead.

"Oh, Bert, they are going to beat us after all," cried Nan
disappointedly.

"I knew we'd beat you," cried Nellie Parks. "Charley's is the best sled
on the hill."

"The race isn't over yet," said Bert.

His sled had been running in rather soft snow. Now he turned to where
the coasting was better, and in a twinkling his sled shot forward until
he was once more beside Charley and Nellie.

"Here we come!" shouted Bert. "Make room, I say! Make room."

On and on they went, and now the bottom of the hill was reached and they
ran along a level stretch. Charley's sled began to slow up, but Bert's
kept on and on until he had covered a hundred feet beyond where Charley
had come to a stop.

"We've won!" cried Nan excitedly. "Oh, Bert, your sled is a wonder."

"So it is," he answered, with pride. "But it was a close race, wasn't
it?"

When they came back to where Charley and Nellie stood they found Charley
rather sulky.

"Nellie is heavier than Nan," said he. "It wasn't a fair race. Let us
try it alone next time."

"I'm willing," answered Bert.

CHAPTER VI

COASTING, AND WHAT CAME OF IT

It was a long walk back to the top of the hill, but Nan and Bert did not
mind it.

"So you won, did you?" said one of the boys to Bert. "Good enough."

"We are going to try it over again," put in Charley. "Come on."

In the crowd was Danny Rugg, who had a brand-new sled.

"I guess I can beat anybody!" cried Danny boastfully. "This new sled of
mine is bang-up."

"What slang!" whispered Nan, to Bert. "If I were you I shouldn't race
with him."

"I'm going to race with Charley," answered her twin brother, and took no
notice of Danny's challenge.

Bert and Charley were soon ready for the test, and away they went amid
a cheer from their friends.

"I think Charley will win this time," said Nellie.

"And I think that Bert will win," answered Nan.

"Oh, you think your brother is wonderful," sniffed Nellie, with a shrug
of her shoulders.

"He is just as good as any boy," said Nan quickly.

Down the hill swept the two sleds, keeping side by side as before. They
were but a foot apart, for each owner wished to keep on the hardest part
of the slide.

"Keep on your side, Bert Bob