It was, indeed, good coasting down Lafayette hill. This was a long and, at certain places, a steep slope, which led from Cardiff village, over the mountain, to the town of Lafayette. A few miles beyond Lafayette was another settlement called Onativia. The long hill wound in and out, with queer twists and turns and an abundance of thank-'e-ma'ams, which made the sleds leap up in the air as the runners struck those spots. The snow storm ceased in the afternoon, when Roger and Adrian, donning their boots, mufflers, and short jackets, trudged off to the hill, dragging clipper sleds with them. They found the coasting-place black and swarming with boys and girls,--hearty, sturdy youngsters, who laughed and shouted as they pelted each other with snowballs. The white flakes had not become packed down hard enough yet to make the going good, but beneath the hundreds of tramping feet and the scores of sled runners, that process would not take long. The really swift and exciting coasting, however, would not begin until the bill was worn smooth and icy. Roger and Adrian joined the happy throng of young people. Like the others they dragged their sleds part way up the hill, and then, leaping skilfully upon the narrow board, they slid down, going faster and faster as they gathered momentum. The hill was two miles in extent, but none of the youngsters cared to go to the top to get the benefit of the long slide. It took too much time to walk up, and they preferred the more rapid, though shorter skimming over the snowy surface. "It isn't very good yet," said Adrian, as they reached the bottom of the slope, after an invigorating ride. "Wait two or three days, though, until the sun thaws it a bit, and it freezes some more, and then you'll see coasting that is coasting. You'll see a race that I bet you never saw one like before." "What kind of a race?" "A two-mile coasting race down this hill, for the championship of the valley, among the boys of Cardiff, Lafayette, and Onativia." "You don't mean to say they race down this hill?" "Sure. On big bob sleds. I'm captain of our bob, and you can go 'long this year. We'll have the race in about a week." Just then Adrian saw some boy acquaintances. "Hey, Ed," he called to one of them, "come here. And you, too, Jim." Two boys joined Adrian, big, sturdy, red-cheeked lads, panting with their exercise in the crisp air. Roger was introduced to the newcomers, Edward Johnson and James Smather. "I was just telling my cousin about our yearly championship race," explained Adrian, "when I happened to see you two. I suppose we'll have the contest, as usual?" "Of course," said Ed, and Jim agreed with him. "Looks as if we could have it by Saturday," said Jim, carefully noting the condition of the hill. "I guess it'll be packed hard enough by then," assented Ed. "I s'pose you fellers are ready for another lickin'," he added, grinning a bit at Adrian.