“I want the one with the red scarf!” sang out Frank, and this girl, with a laugh that showed her even white teeth, took her place behind the steersman. Her companions joined her, with happy laughs. The bob was almost full.
“Room for any more?” asked a voice, and Tom looked up to see a young man and lady looking at him.
“Oh, hello, Mr. Beach!” he exclaimed, as he recognized a friend of his who lived in town. “Of course there is. Get on Mrs. Beach, and we’ll give you a fine ride!” The young married couple had often entertained our four friends at their home, and, as Mr. and Mrs. Beach were fond of fun, they had come out to enjoy the coasting.
“All right!” cried Sid, clanging the bell.
“Push us off; will you?” Tom requested of a merry coaster, and the lad with some others obligingly shoved the bob to the edge of the hill. Then they were off, going down like the wind, while the runners scraped the frozen snow sending it aloft in a shower of crystals that the moon turned into silver.
“Oh, this is glorious!” cried the girl back of Frank. “Say, did you ever try to go through the hollow, and up the other hill?”
“No, and I’m not going to,” replied Frank, turning his head toward her for an instant, and then getting his eyes on the road again, for there were many sleds and bobs, and it needed all his skill to wind in and out among them.
“Why not?” persisted the girl, with a laugh.
“Too dangerous, with a big sled. We never could make the curve at this speed.”
“Some of the town boys do it,” she went on.