They were speedily joined by a number of other boys and girls, all bound for school. Some of the girls were having fun washing each other’s faces and it was not long before Nan had her face washed too. The cold snow on her cheek and ear did not feel very nice, but she took the fun in good part and went to washing like the rest.

The boys were already snowballing each other, some on one side of the street and some on the other. The snowballs were flying in all directions and Bert was hit on the back and on the shoulder.

“I’ll pay you back!” he cried, to Charley Mason, who had hit him in the back, and he let fly a snowball which landed directly on Charley’s neck. Some of the snow went down Charley’s back and made him shiver from the cold.

“I wouldn’t stand that, Charley,” said Danny Rugg, who was close at hand. “I’d pitch into him if I were you.”

“You pitch into him,” grumbled Charley, “You can throw awfully straight.”

Danny prided himself on his throwing, which, however, was no better than the throwing of the other lads, and he quickly made two hard snowballs. With these in hand he ran out into the street and waited until Bert’s hands were empty. Then he came up still closer and threw one of the snowballs with all his might. It struck Bert in the back of the head and sent him staggering.

“Hi! how do you like that?” roared Danny, in high glee. “Have another?” And as Bert stood up and looked around he let drive again, this time hitting Bert directly in the ear. The snowball was so hard it made Bert cry out in pain.

“For shame, Danny Rugg, to hit Bert so hard as that!” cried Nan.

“Oh, you keep still, Nan Bobbsey!” retorted Danny. “This is our sport, not yours.”

“But you shouldn’t have come so close before you threw the snowball.”

“I know what I’m doing,” growled the big boy, running off.