e marks of the rough encounter, in the form of sundry
ugly scratches upon the polished sides of the "Clipper," the tears came
in his eyes; and it was some time before he noticed that he himself
bore upon his hands and knees several unmistakable tokens of the
collision.

Ralph knew very well that the collision was not accidental. The kick
of the boy who guided the sled, and the hearty laugh of both its
occupants, when Ralph was overturned, satisfied him that he had been
run down purposely. He did not know the names of the boys, having only
met them occasionally on the Common. They soon came along again, on
their way up the hill, and Ralph asked the owner of the sled why he run
him down.

"Because you got in our way," replied the boy.

"No, I did n't," said Ralph; "there was room enough for you to go by,
but you steered out of your course, and gave my sled a kick, too."

"Don't you tell me I lie, you little snipper-snapper," answered the boy
"or I 'll put you in my pocket, and carry you off."

"See what you did," continued Ralph, pointing to the scratches on the
"Clipper;" "I should n't care anything about it, but the sled is n't
mine. I borrowed it of my brother, and it had n't a scratch on it when
I took it."

"Pooh," said the other boy, "that does n't hurt it any. I 'll be bound
it will be scratched worse than that, before the winter 's over. If
you get in my way with it again, I shall serve it worse than I did this
time."

The boys passed on their way, and Ralph and George, whose "fun" had
been thus suddenly and unjustly spoiled by their insolent and
domineering companions, concluded to return home. Poor Ralph dreaded
to meet Oscar; but yet he hunted him up, as soon as he got home, and
told him what had befallen the beautiful sled. Oscar was very angry
when he heard the story, but he generously acquitted his brother of all
blame in the matter, and declared that he would pay back the boy who
had thus taken advantage of his weakness. He knew the offender, from
Ralph's description, and from the name of his sled, which was the
"Corsair." He even proposed to go directly to the Common, and settle
the account at once; but Ralph, in whose heart revenge held a very
small place, persuaded him out of the notion.

But Oscar, unlike Ralph, was not the boy to forget or forgive an
injury. A day or two after the occurrence just related, while coasting
on the Common, he fell in with the boy who run into his brothe