CHAPTER XVIII
A NIGHT ALARM
"Are you all ready?" called Danny to Bert, looking over at thehome-made bob, and there was something like contempt in his tone.
"All ready," answered Bert. "I'll start as soon as you give theword."
"We ought to have someone to shove us off," suggested Danny. "Itwon't be fair if one or the other gets a head-start."
"Hi! He's afraid already!" cried Charley Mason. "He knows we'regoing to beat!"
"I am not!" retorted Danny. "It will be a walk-over for me onceI start. But I don't want Bert Bobbsey saying I took advantage ofhim, after the race is over."
"You needn't be afraid--I won't say so--I won't have to," repliedBert. "All the same I think it would be better if we each had apush. I want to be fair, too."
"Hey, Bert!" called a shrill voice, as the elder Bobbsey lad waslooking about for some on the hill to whom he might appeal. "Can'tI ride down with you, Bert?"
It was Freddie who called, and he came running up, anxious to takepart in the exciting race.
"No, Freddie, not this time," explained Bert kindly. "I want onlylarge boys with me in the race. I'll give you a ride afterward."
"After I beat him, he means," sneered Danny.
"Come on, let's race if we're going to," called some of the boyson Danny's sled.
"Yes; don't stay here all day."
"Get a move on!"
"We'll beat, anyhow, what's the use of racing?"
There were only a few of things that those on the big new sled ofDanny's, called to those on Bert's bob. On their part Bert's friendsvoiced such remarks as:
"We're not so strong on looks, but we'll get there first!"
"We're going to give Danny a tow to the bottom of the hill!"
"He won't know he's moving, once Bert's sled gets started going!"
"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Danny at last. "Shall weshove off ourselves?"
Just then there came along two large boys, Frank Cobb, and hisparticular chum, Irving Knight.
"What's going on here; a race?" asked Frank.
"It looks that way," said Irving.
"Oh, will you push us off?" begged Bert, appealing to Frank, whosefather worked in Mr. Bobbsey's lumber yard.
"Sure we will," answered Frank good-naturedly. "Take the othersled, Irving," he said to his chum, "and we'll give 'em an evenstart. Then we'll see which beats, and may the best sled win!"
"That's what I say!" cried Irving.
The two larger boys took their places behind the bobs. They slowlyshoved them to the edge of the hill, held them there a moment,and, at a nod to each other, shoved them down evenly.
"Hurray!" cried the crowd of other coasters. "There they go!"
"And Danny's ahead!" said some of his friends.
"No, Bert's sled is!" shouted his admirers. As a matter of fact,though, both sleds were even at the start. On and on they went veryswiftly, for the hill had been worn smooth. Then Bert saw his bobgetting ahead a little, and he felt that he was going to win easily.
But he was glad too soon, for, a little later, Danny's sled shotahead, and for some distance was in the lead.
"Can't you beat him, Bert?" whispered Charley Mason, who sat justbehind his chum.
"I hope so," was the answer. "But I can't really do anything. Wejust have to depend on the sled, you know."
"Steer a little more over to the left," suggested another boy. "Itlooks smoother there."
"I will," said Bert, and he turned the steering wheel of his bob,while Luke Morton, in the rear, pulled hard on the bell, makingit clang out a loud warning.
"Look out where you're going, Bert Bobbsey!" warned Danny, lookingback. "You're coming over on my side of the hill!"
"No I'm not. I'm away from the middle, even," said Bert, "Besides,I'm behind you."
"I know you are, and you're going to stay there; but I don't wantyou to run into me."
Bert thought of the time, the winter before, when Danny had runinto him, and broken his sled, but he said nothing. He did not wantthat kind of an accident to be repeated if he could help it.
On, on and on dashed the big bobs, with the crowd on the hill, anda number of coasters scattered along the way, watching anxiously.As soon as Bert had steered over to the left his sled began to gofaster, as the snow was packed better there. He was fast catchingup to Danny, when one of the boys on that bob, looking back, sawit, and warned the steersman.
"He's coming, Danny," he cried.
"Oh, he is; eh? Well, he won't pass me," and Danny steered his sledover directly in front of Bert's, almost causing Bert to collidewith him.
"Shame!" cried some watchers. "That wasn't fair!"
"Let him keep on his own side then," warned Danny.
But this mean trick did Danny little good for, though Bert wasforced to go to the right, to avoid crashing into Danny, he, mostunexpectedly, found good coasting there, and he shot ahead untilhis sled was even with that of the bully's.
"Better look out, Danny," warned the boy sitting directly back ofhim. "He's crowding us fast."
"Oh, it's only a spurt. We'll soon be at the bottom of the hilland win."
On and on came Bert's bob, the _Flier_. It was a little aheadof Danny's now, and the latter, seeing this, steered over, thinkingthe going was better there.
"Look out!" warned Bert "Who's crowding over now?"
"Well, I've got a right here!" snarled Danny.
But Bert knew his rights also, and would not give away. He held tohis place, and Danny dared not come too close. Then, as Bert foundhimself on smooth, hard-packed snow, he steered as straight as hecould. More and more ahead of Danny he went, until he was fully infront of him.
"We're going to win! We're going to win!" cried Bert's friends."We're going to win the race!"
Danny was wild with anger. He steered his sled over sharply, hopingto get on the same track as was Bert and so pass him. But it wasnot to be. Danny took too sudden a turn, and the next instant hisbob overturned, spilling everyone off.
There was a cry of surprise at the accident, and some of those onBert's sled looked back. Bert himself looked straight ahead as asteersman always should.
"Danny's upset!" cried Charley.
"I'm sorry!" said Bert "Now he'll claim the race wasn't fair."
And that is what Danny did when he picked himself up, and walkeddown to meet Bert, whose bob got safely to the foot of the hill,and so won the race.
"Aw, I'd have beaten if you hadn't gotten in my way so I had tosteer over," cried Danny.
"Don't talk that way now," said Irving, who, with Frank Cobb hadcome to the end of the hill. "Bert beat you fair and square."
"Aw, well--" grumbled Danny.
"I'll race over again, if you like," offered Bert.
"Yes, and do the same thing," grumbled Danny. "I will not. I knowmy sled is the best."
But few others, save those who hoped for a ride on it, agreed withthe bully, and Bert's home-made bob was held to be champion of thehill.
Then came many more coasts, Bert giving Nan and Flossie and Freddie,and a number of their little girl and boy friends, several rides.
Until late that evening the coasting kept up, and Bert and Charleywere congratulated on all sides for the fine bob they had made. Andwhat fun Bert had home after supper, telling of how he had won therace!
It was in the middle of the night, when the Bobbsey household wasawakened by the ringing of fire bells. They all heard the alarm,and as Papa Bobbsey counted the number, he said to his wife:
"That must be near here. Guess I'll look. It's a windy night anda fire in my lumber yard would be very bad."
As he went to the window he saw a glare on the sky in the directionof the lake.
"It _is_ near here!" he said. "The engines are going past ourhouse! I'd better take a look."
"Can I come?" asked the little "Fat Fireman" from his cot. "Takeme, papa!"