“But this is the best yet!” cried Ned. “The hill is in prime shape. We’ll get up a race.”
Laughing, shouting, calling to one another, the three chums, now restored to full rights of collegeship, hastened out with their companions to the coasting place.
It was a bright moonlight night, and many of the boys and girls from Fordham were on the hill.
“Get up a party and we’ll see if we can’t have a race,” suggested Jerry to his chums.
Getting up a party for the fine, big bobsled was easy. There were soon more than enough to fill it. As the three chums were getting the sled to the top of the hill ready for a start, Frank Watson came along dragging his bobsled, which was slightly larger than that Jerry was going to steer. Frank had his party made up, in it being Bart Haley and Bill Hamilton.
“Want a race, Jerry?” asked Bart, good-naturedly.
Without thinking, for the minute, of the feeling against Frank, Jerry answered:
“Come on then!” cried Bart. “The losers buy the hot chocolates!”
Fordham Hill was over a mile long, and it was so wide that several big bobsleds could go down abreast. Thus a race could be going on, and independent coasting could be indulged in at the same time.
“Let me steer, Jerry,” begged Ned, for the tall lad had taken his place at the wheel.
“I want to beat that sneak, that’s why! He thinks he’s all there is, with his bunch of girls from town. I’m going to beat him!”
“All right,” Jerry assented. “Only look out for yourself, that’s all. I’ve heard of Frank’s bob. It’s a fast one, and he knows how to handle it. Ours is a bit stiff.”
“Oh, I’ll beat him all right. You get the crowd aboard.”
It was perhaps but natural that Ned should wish to win against his enemy, and Frank was Ned’s enemy rather than that of either Bob or Jerry.
“Pile on! Get your places!” yelled Bart. “Here’s where we win the hot chocolates!”
“Get ready, boys!” called Jerry, who went to the rear of the bobsled, there to handle the brake lever. For the big bobsleds had brakes--a sort of spike that dug down in the snow and retarded the progress of the sled. Frank’s bobsled was similarly equipped, and Bill Hamilton was to be the brakesman.
A number of girls from Fordham, whom Jerry, Ned and Bob had met at dances, took their places on the sled of our heroes. There were about the same number of boys as girls on Frank’s coaster also.