On the way to school, Danny Rugg and Sam Todd began throwing snowballs at Bert and John Marsh. Bert did not mind this much, since Danny and Sam were using soft balls. But pretty soon Joe Norton, a chum of Sam’s, happened along, and he joined forces with Danny. This made three against two, and Bert and John were getting the worst of it when Charlie Mason, with whom Bert was very friendly, ran up.
“Let me get a shot at ’em!” cried Charlie, and he made snowballs so fast and threw them so straight, hitting Danny, Sam and Joe, that though the sides were even, Danny and his two chums turned and ran away.
“Ho! Ho!” taunted John. “You’re afraid to stay and fight!”
“We are not,” said Danny. “But it’s almost time for the last bell.”
“That’s a good excuse!” laughed Charlie.
“I’ve got some horse-chestnuts in my pocket,” said Sam to Danny as they ran on. “This afternoon we’ll put some inside snowballs and we’ll soak Bert and his gang good and hard.”
“All right,” agreed Danny.
Though the snow had stopped falling, the skies had not cleared and the storm did not appear to be over, except for a little while. And there was so much snow on the ground that Mr. Tarton announced at the morning exercises that the children of the primary grades would be excused from returning in the afternoon.
“I also want to add,” the principal went on, “that we shall do this winter as we have done in past years. If on any morning the weather is too bad, or the storm too heavy, to make it safe for you to come out, the bell will be rung three times, five strokes each time, as a signal that there is to be no school. Then you need not start.
“So, children, in case of a storm, listen about half past eight o’clock. And if the bell rings five times, then is silent, then rings five times more, then is silent, and then rings a last five strokes, that means there will be no school.”