Part 25 (1/2)

They did, and when they had finished putting a row of pieces of coal down the front of the snow man, they looked just as Bert had said they would--like b.u.t.tons on a coat.

”Now let's make a little snow image, and he will be the snow man's little boy,” said Freddie, after a bit.

”Oh, that will be nice!” cried Flossie.

The little twins rolled some smaller b.a.l.l.s of snow, and, putting them together, as they had seen Bert do, they soon had a little snow boy, which stood beside the big snow man.

While the smaller Bobbsey twins were doing this Bert and Charley were making a snow fort in the back yard. And when it was finished some other boys came along and there was a snow battle. Bert and Charley, inside the fort, threw s...o...b..a.l.l.s at the other boys outside. And every time they threw, Bert and Charley would dodge down behind the walls of the fort, so they were not hit very often.

But finally so many boys crowded around the snow fort, throwing b.a.l.l.s from all sides at Bert and Charley, that they could not throw back fast enough, and they had to give up.

”Whoop! Come on, capture the fort!” cried Ned Barton.

Over the walls swarmed the boys, and Bert and Charley were taken ”prisoners.” Of course it was only in fun, and only soft s...o...b..a.l.l.s, which hurt no one, were used, and all had a good time.

Then other boys took a turn inside the fort, while their chums threw s...o...b..a.l.l.s at them from outside the walls, and the game went on this way, by turns.

”I'm glad it snowed,” said Jimmie Heath.

”So am I,” added Bert. ”We can have such fun. I say, why not build a snow house?” he asked, after they had become tired of playing fort. ”The snow is just right for packing.”

”All right--a snow house!” cried the other boys. ”We'll make one!”

They made a big pile of snow, using some of that which was in the walls of the fort. When the pile was large enough they began to dig out a place inside. This was to be the hollow part of the house, or the main room where they would stay.

Some boys worked at the outside walls, making them straight and smooth, while others took away the snow that Bert and Charlie dug from the inside.

The roof of the snow house was rounding, just like those of the snow houses made by the Eskimos in the arctic region. And finally, when Bert and Charley had the inside scooped out enough for more boys to get in, they all entered and sat about on some boxes which Bert found in the cellar.

The snow house was enjoyed by the boys and the Bobbsey twins for some days. But the sun was melting the snow a little every day, and one afternoon, when Flossie and Freddie came home from school early, and went out to play in the snow house, something happened.

Before long Flossie went to the kitchen to ask Dinah for some cookies to have a make-believe party in the snow house, and when the cook had given them to her, and the little girl was about to come out, she looked from the window and saw a strange sight.

Snap was playing about the yard with another dog. All of a sudden Snap gave a jump, right on top of the snow house, and he was so heavy, and the roof was so thin, that it caved in. Snap, with a bark, jumped away and ran off with the other dog, but Freddie was held fast by the pile of snow which fell on him, as he was inside.

”Oh! oh!” cried the little fellow, his voice m.u.f.fled by the pile of snow. ”Help me out! Help me out! I'm buried under the snow house! Help me out! Oh, Flossie!”

CHAPTER XVII

ON THE HILL

”Dinah! Dinah!” called Flossie, dropping to the floor the cookies she had gotten to take out to the snow house. ”Oh, Dinah! Look at Freddie!”

Dinah hurried to the window.

”Freddie?” she asked. ”Freddie? Where am Freddie? I can't see him, so how kin I look at him, Flossie lamb?”

”Oh, you can't see him!” wailed Flossie, ”But you can hear him, can't you?”

Dinah listened.