Each boy carried as many as he could in one arm, this leaving the other one free to throw with.
"We'll have to make a quick run for it and throw just as fast and hard as we can," said Herbie, as Toad, who had at that moment returned to the fort in a great hurry, his hat covered with snow, exclaimed:
"They got me, but I hit two or three of them!"
"All ready!" shouted the Captain, and the others, following close on his heels, dashed out.
Such a hail of snowballs met them that they halted for a moment, then dashed onward right up to the enemy's fort.
"Don't waste any ammunition until you get close," ordered Reddy, and his company obeyed. "Now let her fly," he directed, as they surrounded the fort.
The boys threw with a will and were vigorously answered by the defenders of the fort, and for a time it was hard to see which side would win. Finally, after the ammunition of the attacking force was used up, Captain Reddy ordered a retreat back to their own fort.
"I have a better plan this time," he announced after they were safely inside. "When we charge again, two of you fellows must keep running back to our own fort so as to bring us supplies of snowballs. Then we can keep up a much longer fight and when anyone gets tired throwing," he added, "he can change places with one of the fellows that have been carrying the balls."
At this moment, Herbie, who had been on the lookout, suddenly cried:
"They're coming to charge us."