“Get rid of it, Why,” advised Tom. “Don’t keep ideas in your system.” “Let’s roll a whopping big snowball,” proposed George, “and send it down hill. It will roll all the way to the bottom, and pick up snow all the way down.” “It will be some snowball when it gets to the bottom,” observed Tom. “This snow does pack wonderfully well,” he added, testing it. “Come on!” cried George, and he started to roll the ball. In a few minutes he had one so large that it needed two to shove it about, and as it gathered layer after layer of snow, it accumulated in size until the strength of the four lads was barely sufficient to send it slowly along. “Now to the top of the hill with it!” cried Tom, and it was placed on the brink. The boys held it at a point where it would not interfere with the small coasters. It was poised on the brink a moment. “Let her go!” cried Tom. “There she goes!” echoed Jack Fitch. They shoved the ball down the slope. On and on it rolled, gaining in momentum and size with every bound. “Look at it!” cried George. “Say, it sure is going!” “And it’s getting as big as a house!” excitedly shouted Bert. “It will roll all the way across the lake,” said Tom, for the frozen body of water was at the foot of the hill, and it did seem as though the snowball had momentum enough to carry it over the ice. A moment later the ball was at the foot of the hill, and rolling along with increasing speed. And then, so suddenly that the boys were startled with fear, something happened. Out on the ice drove a horse and a cutter, containing a man. He had left the road and taken a short cut across the ice. And now he was directly in the path of the immense, rolling snowball. “Stop! Stop!” cried Tom Fairfield. “Look out!” But it was too late to stop, even if the man in the cutter had heard him. On rushed the great ball directly toward the horse and vehicle. CHAPTER II A SURPRISE “Say, it’s going to hit him, sure as fate!” cried Tom. “No help for it,” half-groaned Jack. “And there will be some smash!” murmured Bert. “Oh, what did you do it for, George?” “Me do it? Why, say, you fellows had as much to do with it as I did! I didn’t do it all!” and the smaller lad looked indignantly at his companions. “Come on!” cried Tom, as he started on a run down the snowy side of the hill. The others followed. “We can’t do anything!” shouted Jack. “Of course not,” agreed Bert. “By the time we get there----” He did not finish the sentence. All this while the big snowball had been rushing on. The man in the cutter had seen it, but too late. He tried to whip up the horse and get out of the way, but even as Bert spoke the mass of snow struck fairly between the horse and cutter. In an instant the vehicle was overturned.