CHAPTER XVII
A SNOW FIGHT
Alice Jallow screamed, and in this was joined by Kittie Rossmore. Thenboth girls turned and fled. Possibly they anticipated what was coming,for after the white flakes of the snowball had fallen from Will's face,and the red, caused by the impact, had died out, he became white withanger.
"What did you do that for, Jake Rossmore?" Will cried.
"I didn't mean to. You walked right into it!"
"A likely story. I'll fix you for that," and Will sprang forward.
To the credit of Jake and Sam, though this is not to be taken in anysense as upholding fighting, the two boys did not turn back, thoughout-numbered.
"You fellows are altogether too fresh!" declared Frank. "You go and seta bear trap where you have no business to, and then you pelt us withsnowballs. We won't stand it!"
"Better go easy," advised Allen Washburn, though, truth, to tell, hisblood was also up. "Better go easy."
By this time Will had reached Jake, and aimed a blow at him. It fellshort, and was a mere tap, but Jake retaliated. He swung too wide, andthe next moment Will had pushed him into a snowbank. Jake was up againin an instant, however, and there might have been a serious fisticencounter had not Allen cried out:
"Here, fellows! This won't do!"
"But he pushed me!" cried Jake, with doubled fists, while Frank and Samwere regarding each other with none too friendly eyes.
"Yes, and you hit me with a snowball first!" retorted Will. It was verymuch like two children, but the boys did not realize it at the time.Possibly Allen did.
"You'd better arbitrate," he suggested with a smile.
"I will not!" declared Will.
"Me either," added Jake.
"Then have a snowball fight--two on a side--I'll see fair play,"suggested the young lawyer. "That will be a good way out of it. It willrelieve your feelings, and no one will be much hurt. Come, here's theline," and he drew one in the snow. "Get your ammunition ready, andI'll give the word. The side that first cries 'enough,' loses, and honoris satisfied."
"I'm willing, if they are," said Frank.
"Yes," agreed Will.
"Go ahead," spoke Jake, and Sam nodded his assent.
"If we only had Mr. Blackford here we could have three on a side,"remarked Will to Frank, as they made a pile of snowballs, which examplewas being followed by their rivals. But the young business man had goneinto town to see about some of his affairs, promising to come back byevening.
"All ready?" asked Allen, as he noted that the white ammunition wasaccumulating. He would have been glad to take a hand himself, but hethought it hardly dignified.
"All ready!" replied Will, and his rivals nodded their willingness tostart. "Everybody in the game!"
Then the snowball fight began, and it was sufficiently fierce to allowthe rather angry feelings on both sides to be worked off, in perhaps theleast harmful manner.
All four of the boys were fairly good shots, and for the first fiveminutes a number of hits were recorded. Each was struck in the faceseveral times, though most of the shots were on the body. Will receivedone in his eye that pained him very much.
"That's sure to swell, and be black and blue," he thought. "Well, we'llsee what this will do," and he aimed one at Jake. It took young Rossmorefull in the ear, and a little later he begged for a truce to rid it ofsnow.
Meanwhile Kittie and Alice, rather terrified at the impending clash, hadhurried on.
"We ought to get a policeman and make that Ford fellow and his chumsstop," 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 theFord land. They are trying to claim everything. I'm just going to tellfather, 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'tbelieve it will amount to so very much, though."
The two tramped on, and, as luck would have it, they overtook Betty andher chums, hurrying on to the cabin with Amy. Our friends turning, sawtheir 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 andAllen?" 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, Imust 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 find a Mr. Will Ford around here?"
"Why--why, that's my brother!" exclaimed Grace in surprise. "What is it,please?"
"It's some machinery for him. It's an express piece. Where shall Ideliver it?"
"That's his cabin over there," and Grace pointed to where it could justbe seen. "Are there any charges on it?"
"Yep. Three dollars."
"I'll pay them. Oh, girls, I wonder what it can be?"
"Will's secret, probably," answered Betty. "I wish he would come;" andshe looked anxiously over the trail.
"Don't you wish Allen would come, too?" asked Mollie, slily.
"Hush!" exclaimed Betty, with a glance at Alice and Kittie.
"Well, I'm going back, anyhow!" decided Grace, as she paid theexpressman. "I'll tell Will there is a big box for him, and that will bea good excuse for him coming back. They must not fight. Papa would notlike it."
"Well, perhaps that is a good plan," agreed Betty. "I'll keep on withAmy, and you and Mollie can go back to the boys."
"I'll go tell papa, and have him stop Jake and Sam," said Alice, movingoff with her chum.