"It's prime, and you'd best come along at once and make the most of it," affirmed Rodney. "One never knows how long this sort of thing is going to last. It might be a melting slough of despond by to-morrow."
"Don't break your precious necks!" said Mrs. Somerville.
"There's no danger at all," laughed Diccon.
Rhoda had enjoyed the pleasures of tobogganing before, but to Mildred and Kitty it was a new and delightful experience. The rapid motion through the frosty air was an intense exhilaration, and the rough-and-tumble part of the performance only made them laugh. With cheeks crimson from excitement, they were ready for any number of repetitions of the experiment.
"Come along with me, Mildred, and I'll take you down like a sheet of greased lightning!" said Rodney. "No, don't go with 'sweet Richard'! He'll spill you overboard, and break your nose, if not your neck!"
"A libel! I'm as steady as a railway truck running through a goods yard!" protested Diccon. "Never mind! I'll take Kitty, and we'll see who's greased lightning!"
"Right you are! We'll have our go first, then you can follow. Eric and Neville can act as judges."
"Suppose they disagree?" laughed Mildred.
"It's the most blissful sport in creation!" declared Mildred, as she tucked herself on to Rodney's sleigh. "It beats swimming and dancing and rowing and hockey, and everything I know except flying, which I've never tried."
"You're going to try it now," said Rodney. "Here goes! Right away!"
Off they went at a most terrific pace. The slide was in good form by now, and Rodney had got into practice.
"How many miles an hour?" gasped Mildred as they glided on.
"Wish I'd a speedometer! About a hundred, I should think. She's going A1. Oh, I say! Look out for yourself! Jemima! That was a narrow shave!"
As he spoke, Rodney had ground his heel heavily into the snow, and the sled slued sharply to the right. They were almost at the bottom of the run, and in another instant were able to stop. Rodney sprang up, and rushing back to the lump of snow which they had just avoided, hastily uncovered a jagged piece of rock.
"Hi! Danger!" he yelled to Diccon, who was about to start down the track. "Look out here for all you're worth!"
"What's the matter?" cried Mildred, who had joined him.