Now Freddie was a good runner, but Nick had the start of him, and reached the top of the hill first. However, Freddie was not far behind, and no sooner did Nick throw himself flat on the little Bobbsey girl’s sled, face down, than Freddie made a jump, and right on top of Nick’s back he landed!
“Hi! Get off!” cried Nick, his breath rather knocked out of him, for Freddie was a fat, chubby little fellow.
“You get off my sister’s sled!” demanded Flossie’s brother.
But it was too late for this. It was impossible for Nick to stop now, and down the hill he coasted on Flossie’s sled, with Freddie on his back, both boys coasting together!
It was a trick the children often did on the hill, and there was nothing hard about it. Only this time it happened to be an accident, and the two boys were enemies and not friends.
Freddie was so surprised at the sudden and unexpected coast that he just had to hold fast to Nick and he could say nothing more. But when the bottom of the hill was reached, Freddie, being on top, began to pound Nick’s back with his two sturdy fists.
“Hey! Quit! Let me up!” begged the bad boy.
“Not till you give me my sister’s sled!” insisted Freddie.
“Well, how can I give it to her when you’re sittin’ on me?” yelled Nick.
With that Freddie got off the other lad’s back, allowing him to get up. The other boys gathered around, thinking there might be a fight. But Nick had had enough. He found Freddie braver than he had thought, and turned away, muttering: