They were sitting under a sheltering tree, looking at some flitting snow-birds, when from behind them came a curious sound. Bert looked back, and leaping to his feet, cried: "It's a snow slide! A snow slide!

It's coming right toward us!"

Indeed a great drift of white snow was sliding down the side of the hill toward the children. A great white ball seemed to have started it, and as Harry looked up he gave a cry of surprise.

"I saw a boy up there!" he said. "He pushed that s...o...b..ll on us!"

CHAPTER XVI

LOST IN THE WOODS

"Quick!" cried Bert, as he looked at the swiftly-sliding snow, "get close to the tree--on the downward side of it, and maybe the drift will go around us. Harry, you look after Freddie, and I'll take care of Flossie!"

As he spoke Bert grabbed up his little sister and hurried closer to the tree. It was a big pine, and they had been sitting under its branches, on some big rocks, as the slide started.

"What shall we do?" cried Nan. "Can't Dorothy and I help?"

"Take care of yourselves," answered Bert. "I guess it will split at the tree and not hurt us."

The snow slide had started at the top of the hill, whether from some s...o...b..ll a boy had made, and rolled down, or from some other cause, Bert did not stop to consider. He was too anxious to get his little brother and sister to safety.

The snow was rather soft, and just right for the making of big b.a.l.l.s, of the kind that had been put on the school steps. And, as it continued to slide down the hill, the ma.s.s of snow got larger and larger, until it was big enough to frighten even older persons than the Bobbsey twins and their cousins.

Harry had reached the tree with Freddie at the same time that Bert came to the protecting trunk with his little sister. Nan and Dorothy also were struggling toward it.

"Form in line!" called Bert. "In a long string down the hill, and every one stand right in line with the tree. The big trunk may split the snow slide in two."

He and Harry took their positions nearest the trunk, with Flossie and Freddie between them. Nan and Dorothy came next. Bert clasped the tree trunk with both arms, and told Harry to grasp him as tightly as he could.

"And you and Flossie hold on to Harry, Freddie," Bert directed. "Nan, you and Dorothy hold on to the little ones. Here she comes!"

By this time the snowslide had reached the tree, and the ma.s.s was now much larger than at first. Freddie and Flossie felt like crying, but they were brave and did not. It was an anxious moment.

Then just what Bert had hoped would happen came to pa.s.s. The snow slide was split in two by the tree trunk, and slid to either side, leaving the Bobbsey twins and their cousins safe.

"Oh!" gasped Nan.

"What was that you said about seeing someone up there on top of the hill?" asked Bert of Harry, a little later.

"I did see someone there just before the snow began to slide, and I'm almost sure I saw him roll that ball down that started the slide,"

answered Harry.

"Is that so? Could you see his face?"

"Not very well."

"Never mind. You don't know Danny Rugg, anyhow."

"Oh, Bert! Do you think Danny could have done such a thing as that?"

asked Nan, in shocked tones.

"He might; not thinking how dangerous it would be," answered her brother. "I'm going up there and take a look."

"What for?" asked Dorothy.

"To see if I can find any marks in the snow. If someone was up there making a big snow ball to roll down on us there will be some marks of it. And if it was Danny Rugg I'll have something to say to him."

"He wouldn't be there now, probably," said Harry. "But do you think it would be safe to go up the side of the hill?"

"Yes, it would, by keeping right in the path of where the snow slide came down," answered Bert. "There's hardly any more snow to come down, now."

"Then I'll go with you," said Harry.

Leaving the two girls, with Flossie and Freddie, at the tree, Bert and Harry made their way up to the top of the slope. There they saw the signs of where, some one--a boy to judge by the marks of his shoes--had tramped about, rolling a big s...o...b..ll.

"That's what happened," decided Bert. "Danny Rugg, or some other mean chap, started that slide toward us. And I think it must have been Danny.

He's up around here somewhere, and he's the only one who would have a grudge against me."

Several days went by at the Lodge, and they were very busy ones. As soon as breakfast was over the boys and girls would go for a walk, or would coast down hill on a slope not far away from the old farmhouse. Freddie and Flossie were not allowed to go very far away, as it was hard traveling. But they had good times around the house, and out in the old barn.

Bert and Harry made snowshoes out of barrel staves, fastening them to their feet with straps. They managed to walk fairly well on the crust.

The lake was still covered with a coating of snow, and there was no skating, nor could the ice-boat be used. Mr. Bobbsey, with Harry and Bert, took the team of horses one afternoon and went after the _Ice Bird_. They found it where Bert had left it the night of the storm, and hitching the horses to it, pulled the craft to the dock in front of Snow Lodge.

"It will be all ready for us when the snow is gone," said Bert.

The nights in Snow Lodge were filled with fun. Mr. Bobbsey had bought a barrel of apples, and when the family gathered about the fireplace there were put to roast in the heat of the glowing embers.

Corn was popped, and then it was eaten, with salt and b.u.t.ter on, or with melted sugar poured over it. Sometimes they would make candy, and once, when they did this, a funny thing happened.

Bert, Nan, Flossie and Freddie, with the two cousins, had been out in the kitchen making a panful of the sweets. I must say that Dinah did the most work, but the children always declared that they made the candy.

Anyhow, Dinah always washed up the pans and dishes afterward.

"Now we'll set it out on the back steps to cool," said Nan, "and then we'll pull it into sticks."

The candy was soon in the condition for "pulling" and, putting b.u.t.ter on their fingers, so the sweet stuff would not stick to them, the children began their fun.

The more they pulled the candy the harder it got, and the lighter in color, Flossie and Freddie soon tired of the work, that was hard on their little arms, and Nan set their rolls of candy outside again to cool, ready for eating.

All at once a great howling was heard at the back stoop, and Flossie cried:

"Oh, someone is taking my candy!"

Bert laid the lump he was pulling down on the table, and rushed to the kitchen door. As he looked out he laughed.

"Oh, look!" he cried. "Snap tried to eat your candy, Freddie, and it's stuck to his jaws. He can't get his mouth open!"