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THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE LAURA LEE HOPE Author of the Bobbsey Twins.
COPYRIGHT 1913 BY
GROSSET & DUNLAP.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. THE RUNAWAYS
II. OLD MR. CARFORD
III. THE BIG SNOWBALL
IV. THE ACCUSATION
V. HOLIDAYS AT HAND
VI. A VISIT TO MR. CARFORD
VII. THE STORY OF SNOW LODGE
VIII. A KIND OFFER
IX. MR. BOBBSEY'S STORY
X. UNWELCOME NEWS
XI. MAKING PLANS
XII. THE LETTERS
XIII. IN A HARD BLOW
XIV. AT SNOW LODGE
XV. THE SNOW SLIDE
XVI. LOST IN THE WOODS
XVII. HENRY BURDOCK
XVIII. SNOWBALLS
XIX. SNAP IS GONE
XX. THE BIG STORM
XXI. THE FALLING TREE
XXII. THE MISSINC MONEY
CHAPTER I
THE RUNAWAYS
"Will Snap pull us do you think Freddie?" asked little Flossie
Bobbsey as she anxiously looked at her small brother who was
fastening a big shaggy dog to his sled by means of a home-made
harness. "Do you think he'll give us a good ride?"
"Sure he will Flossie" answered Freddie with an air of wisdom. "I
explained it all to him and I've tried him a little bit. He pulled
fine and you won't be much heavier. I'll have the harness all fixed
in a minute and then we'll have a grand ride."
"Do you think Snap will be strong enough to pull both of us?" asked
the little girl.
"Of course he will!" exclaimed Freddie firmly. "He's as good as an
Esquimo dog and we saw some pictures of them pulling sleds bigger
than ours."
"That's so" admitted Flossie. "Well hurry up please Freddie 'cause
I'm cold standing here and I want to get under the blankets on the
sled and have a nice ride."
"I'll hurry all right Flossie. You go up there by Snap's head and pat
him. Then he'll stand stiller and I can fix the harness on him
quicker."
Flossie with a shake of her light curls and a stamp of her little
feet to rid them of the snow from the drift in which she had been
standing went closer to the fine-looking and intelligent dog who did
not seem to mind being all tied up with ropes and leather straps to
Freddie's sled.
"Good old Snap!" exclaimed Flossie patting his head. "You're going to
give Freddie and me a fine ride; aren't you old fellow?"
Snap barked and wagged his tail violently.
"Hey! Stop that!" cried Freddie. "He's flopping his tail right in my
face!" the little boy added. "I can't see to fasten this strap. Hold
his tail Flossie."
Snap hearing the voice of his young master--one of his two masters by
the way--wagged his tail harder than ever. Freddie made a grab for it
but missed. Flossie seeing this laughed and Snap thinking it was a
great joke leaped about and barked with delight. He sprang out of the
harness which was only partly fastened on and began leaping about in
the snow. Finally he stood up on his hind legs and marched about for
Snap was a trick dog and had once belonged to a circus.
"There now! Look at that!" cried Freddie. He's spoiled everything!
We'll never get him hitched up now."
"It--it wasn't my fault" said Flossie a tear or two coming into her
eyes.
"I know it wasn't Flossie" replied Freddie speaking more quietly.
"It's always just that way with Snap when he gets excited. Come here!"
he called to the dog "and let me harness you. Come here Snap!"
The dog was well enough trained so that he knew when the time for fun
was over and when he had to settle down. Still wagging his tail
joyously however Snap came up to Freddie who started over again the
work of harnessing the animal to the sled.
"I guess you'd better stand at his tail instead of at his head" said
Freddie. "So when he wags it you can grab it Flossie and hold it
still. Then it won't slap me in the face and I can see what I'm
doing. Hold his tail Flossie."
"Then he can't wag it" objected the little girl.
"I know he can't. I don't want him to."
"But it may make him angry."
"Snap never gets mad; do you Snap?" asked Freddie and the dog's bark
seemed to say "No never!"
So Flossie held the dog's tail while Freddie put on the harness
again. This time he succeeded in getting it all arranged to suit him
and the frisky Snap was soon made fast to the sled.
"Now get on Flossie" called her brother "and we'll see how fast
Snap can pull us."
"But don't make him go too fast Freddie" begged the little girl.
"For it's hard pulling in the snow."
"No I'll let him go slow" promised Freddie. "But it won't be hard
work pulling us. My sled goes awfully easy anyhow."
Freddie tucked Flossie in amid the robes and rugs which the children
had taken from the house near which they had started to harness the
dog. Then Freddie took his place in front of his sister holding to
two reins that were fastened to the dog's head. Freddie had made no
bit such as is used for horses and goats but he thought by making
straps fast to a sort of muzzle by which he could guide Snap by
pulling his head to one side or the other.
"All ready Flossie?" called Freddie when he himself was comfortable
on the sled.
"All ready" she answered.
"Giddap Snap!" cried Freddie and with a bark off the dog started
pulling the sled and the two children after him.
"Oh he's going! He's giving us a ride! It's as real as anything!"
cried Flossie in delight holding fast to the sled. "Oh Freddie!"
"Of course it's real!" said Freddie. "Bert and Nan said Snap wouldn't
pull us. but I knew he would. I just wish they could see us now."
As if in answer to this wish a little later when the two smaller
twins had turned a corner they saw coming toward them their brother
and sister Nan and Bert also twins but four years older.
"Look look!" cried Flossie to Nan. "See what a nice ride we're
having."
"Oh look Bert!" exclaimed Nan "Snap really is pulling them" and
she grasped her brother's arm. Bert was pulling his own sled and that
of his twin sister.
"Yes he'll pull them a little way" admitted Bert as if he knew all
about it "and then the first thing they know Snap will turn around
short and tip them into a snowdrift. He hasn't been trained to pull a
sled no matter how many other tricks he can do."
"I trained him myself!" declared Freddie as he pulled on the lines to
bring the dog to a stop. But Snap seeing Nan and Bert was eager to
reach them to be patted and made much of so he did not obey the
command given by the reins but kept on.
"Whoa there!" cried Freddie holding back with all his little
strength.
"See I told you he wouldn't mind" said Bert with a laugh.
"Oh but isn't it cute!" exclaimed Nan flapping her hands. "I didn't
think they'd get any ride at all."
"We'll show you! We'll have a fine ride!" panted Freddie vainly
trying to make Snap halt.
Then just what Bert said would happen seemed about to take place. The
dog leaped around and turned short to get nearer to the older Bobbsey
twins.
"Look out!" cried Bert but his warning came too late.
Over went the sled and Flossie and Freddie were pitched from it into
a big fluffy bank of snow falling into it deeply but with no more
harm to them than if they had landed on a bed of feathers.
"Oh dear!" cried Flossie as she felt herself shooting toward the
snow.
"Whoa there! Whoa! Don't you run away Snap!" shouted Freddie. Then
his mouth was filled with snow and he could say nothing more.
"Oh Bert! They'll be smothered!" cried Nan. "Help me get them out!"
Bert was laughing and trying to defend himself against the jumping up
of Snap who seemed to want to hug the boy with his paws.
"Stop laughing! Help me!" ordered Nan who was already trying to lift
Flossie from her snowy bed.
"I can't help laughing--Freddie looked so funny when he went over"
said Bert.
"There's no danger of smothering though. That snow is as dry as sand.
Here you go Freddie. Give me your hand and I'll pull you out."
In a few seconds the smaller Bobbsey twins stood beside their larger
brother and sister while Snap capered about them barking loudly and
wagging his tail.
"Oh he's got loose and the harness is all broken" said Freddie and
tears of disappointment stood in his blue eyes.
"Never mind" said Bert. "I'll help you make a better harness to-
morrow Freddie. That one wasn't strong enough for Snap anyhow. I'll
fix it differently."
"Oh but we were going to have such a fine ride!" said Flossie who
was also ready to cry. The smaller twins were only about five years
old so it might have been expected.
"Well come on and go coasting with Bert and me" said Nan as she
patted her little sister's head." We're going over on the long hill.
It's fine there and you'll have just as much fun as if you had Snap
to pull you."
"Shall we go Freddie?" asked Flossie who generally depended on him
to start their amusements.
"I guess so" he answered. "This harness is all busted anyhow."
Sadly he looked at the tangled strings and straps fast to the sled
where Snap had broken away from them. The harness Freddie had made
with such care was all broken now.
"Never mind" said Bert again. "I'll make you a better one to-morrow
Freddie. Come along now and we'll have some fun. And when we get
through coasting I'll buy everybody a hot chocolate soda."
"Really?" asked Flossie her sorrow forgotten now.
"Sure thing" promised Bert.
"Come on then Freddie" said his little sister. "We can harness Snap
up to-morrow."
The useless harness was taken to the Bobbsey home not far away and
then the four twins--the two sets of them as it were--started for the
coasting hill Flossie and Freddie having one sled between them and
Nan and Bert each having one of their own.
On the way to the hill they met many of their friends also bound for
the same place. School was just out and the boys and girls were eager
to have a good time in the snow.
"There's Charley Mason!" exclaimed Bert seeing a boy he knew. "Hello
Charley!" he called. "Going coasting?"
"Sure. Where's the big bob?" For some time before this Bert and
Charley had made in partnership a large bob sled.
"Oh I didn't know you'd be out or I'd have brought it" replied
Bert. "Anyhow I promised Nan I'd coast with her."
"Oh that's all right. I guess the hill will be too crowded for a bob
anyhow. Danny Rugg was taking his over though for I saw him and some
of his crowd hauling it from his barn a little while ago."
"Well let 'em. We can get ours later. Got a new sled?" and Bert
looked admiringly at the one Charley was pulling.
"No it's only my old one painted over. But it makes it look like
new."
"We had Snap hitched up but he broke loose" said Freddie. "But we're
going to have a stronger harness to-morrow."
"That's good" said Charley with a broad smile.
Soon the children were on the hill. There was a large crowd of
coasters there and fun was at its height. There was merry shouting
and laughter and several spills and upsets. As Bert had said the
hill was very much crowded.
"I thought it would be no good for a bob" he remarked.
"There goes Danny Rugg now!" exclaimed Charley." He's giving orders to
everyone."
"He'd better not give any to me" said Bert in a quiet voice but
with determination in his tones.
"Oh Bert!" exclaimed Nan. "Please don't have any fuss; will you?"
"Not on my part" said Bert "But if Danny Rugg thinks he can boss me
he is mistaken."
It was evident that Danny liked to play master. He could be heard
giving orders to this one and the other one to get out of the way to
pull his bob around in place and then to shove it off with its load
of boys and girls.
Now though Danny was a bully some of the children were friendly with
him for the sake of getting a ride on his sled which was a large and
expensive one.
Bert and Nan and Flossie and Freddie soon were coasting with their
friends having a good time on the hill. The two smaller twins went
down together.
As Freddie came up the long slope pulling his sled in readiness for
another trip Danny Rugg with his bob reached the head of the slope at
the same time.
"Say Danny give me a ride this trip; won't you?" begged a small boy
who had no sled but who often did errands for the bully and played
mean tricks for him that Danny was too lazy to play himself. "Let me
go on your bob?"
"Not this time Sim" said Danny. "The bob is going to be filled. But
here you can take Freddie Bobbsey's sled. He doesn't want it" and
without giving Freddie time to say whether he did or not Danny
snatched the sled rope from him and held it out to Sim Watson.
For a moment Freddie was too surprised to utter a protest and then as
he realized what had happened he cried out:
"Here Danny Rugg you let my sled alone! I do want it! Give it back
to me!"
"Aw go on!" said Danny. "You've had rides enough. Let Sim take your
sled or I'll punch you!" and Danny gave Freddie a shove and held out
the rope of the sled to Sim.
"Stop it!" cried Freddie. "I'll tell Bert on you."
"Pooh! Think I'm afraid of your brother. I can handle him with one
hand tied behind my back."
"Then it's time you started in!" exclaimed a voice just back of Danny
and the bully turned suddenly to see Bert standing near him Danny's
face flushed and then grew pale. Before he could make a move Bert
grabbed away from him the rope of Freddie's sled which Sim had not
yet taken and passed it back to his small brother.
"Don't you try that again" warned Bert.
"I will if I want to" said Danny meanly "I'm not afraid of you."
"Maybe not" said Bert quietly "and I'm not afraid of you either.
But if you take my brother's sled for some of your friends you'll have
to settle with me. You leave Freddie alone; do you hear?"
"I don't have to mind you!"
"We'll see about that. Go ahead Freddie. You and Flossie coast as
much as you like and if Danny bothers you any more let me know."
Danny with an uneasy laugh turned aside. Some of his particular
chums gathered about him and one murmured:
"Why don't you fight him?"
For a moment it looked as though there might be trouble but an
instant later all thoughts of it passed for a series of girls'
screams came from midway down the long hill.
All eyes were turned in that direction and those at the top of the
slope saw a team of runaway horses attached to a heavy bobsled
plunging madly up the hill.
And right in the path of the frightened animals was Nan Bobbsey and
one or two other girls on their sleds coasting straight for the
runaways.
A cry of fear came from Bert Bobbsey as he noticed his sister's
danger.
CHAPTER II
OLD MR. CARFORD
"Stop the horses!"
"Yes grab them somebody or they'll run into the girls!"
"Look out everybody they're coming right this way!"
"I'm going to get my bob to a safe place!"
It was Danny Rugg who called out this last and the other boys had
shouted the previous expressions as they watched the oncoming
runaway horses.
Bert Bobbsey had thrown himself on his sled and was coasting toward
the group of girls of whom his sister Nan was one. They were on their
sleds in the very path of the team. It seemed that nothing could save
them. But Bert had a plan in his mind.
And while he was preparing to carry it out I will take just a moment
to tell my new readers something about the characters of this story
and the books that have gone before in the series.
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