ade a pile of snowballs, which example
was being followed by their rivals. But the young business man had gone
into town to see about some of his affairs, promising to come back by
evening.

"All ready?" asked Allen, as he noted that the white ammunition was
accumulating. He would have been glad to take a hand himself, but he
thought it hardly dignified.

"All ready!" replied Will, and his rivals nodded their willingness to
start. "Everybody in the game!"

Then the snowball fight began, and it was sufficiently fierce to allow
the rather angry feelings on both sides to be worked off, in perhaps the
least harmful manner.

All four of the boys were fairly good shots, and for the first five
minutes a number of hits were recorded. Each was struck in the face
several times, though most of the shots were on the body. Will received
one in his eye that pained him very much.

"That's sure to swell, and be black and blue," he thought. "Well, we'll
see what this will do," and he aimed one at Jake. It took young Rossmore
full in the ear, and a little later he begged for a truce to rid it of
snow.

Meanwhile Kittie and Alice, rather terrified at the impending clash, had
hurried on.

"We ought to get a policeman and make that Ford fellow and his chums
stop," said Alice, vindictively.

"I guess it isn't all on their side," spoke Kittie, who could be fair.
"Besides, there's no policeman here."

"Then I'm going to tell father. I don't believe that bear trap is on the
Ford land. They are trying to claim everything. I'm just going to tell
father, or Hank Smither. He'll make 'em let Jake and Sam alone."

"Oh, I guess Jake and Sam can look after themselves," said Kittie,
calmly. "Only I don't like to see a clash. It makes me nervous. I don't
believe it will amount to so very much, though."

The two tramped on, and, as luck would have it, they overtook Betty and
her chums, hurrying on to the cabin with Amy. Our friends turning, saw
their rivals, and then became aware that their boys were not in sight.

"I wonder where they can be?" asked Mollie. "Did you see Frank, Will and
Allen?" she asked of Kittie, ignoring Alice.

"They're back there--fighting," replied Kittie, breathlessly.

"Fighting!" cried Grace. "And Will promised he wouldn't! Oh! girls, I
must stop him at once!"

She was about to run back in the direction she had come, when a man,
driving a sled containing a bulky object, called to the girls:

"Say, where can I