“Go for ’em!” shouted Dixon, in a rage. “Hullo, there, Pete!” he yelled to Sully, who was out looking for him, and the principal of the gang soon joined the forces against the two members of the Zero Club. Two to seven was an uneven contest, and it was not long before Harry and Boxy felt they were getting the worst of it. “If only Jack and Andy were here!” panted Boxy. “Unless they come, we’ll have to turn tail and run.” “I sha’n’t run,” said Harry, firmly. “Let’s direct all of our shots at Sully and Dixon. They are the leaders of the crowd, and if we can frighten them back the others will quickly follow.” Boxy caught the suggestion, and it was carried out immediately. The result was that inside of two minutes Sully got three snowballs in his face and neck, and Dixon half a dozen all over him. “Hi! that ain’t fair!” howled Dixon. “They’re throwing at me and nobody else!” “Another volley on Dixon,” whispered Harry. “That’s the weak point now.” And out flew the hard, white balls, and the bully’s toady received two more, this time both in the neck. The snow went down inside of his collar, causing him to yell from the cold. “I--I can’t stand this!” he sputtered. “Why don’t you fellows do something?” “Let’s charge on them!” cried Sully, angrily. “Come on--everybody take all the snowballs he can carry.” The seven loaded up with ammunition at once, and they sallied forth. But, to their dismay, Jack and Andy Bascoe had just arrived on the scene, followed up by Pickles Johnsing, the colored youth. These three were not slow to take in the situation, and they sailed in vigorously. “Dis am most lubly sport!” cried Pickles. “How yo’ like dat, Sully? Ki! hi! Ain’t dat jess elegant, Dixon? An’ heah’s one fo’ you, Len Spencer, fo’ callin’ me a coon!” And Pickles rushed to the front, followed by Andy and Jack, and compelling Sully and his crowd to retreat in spite of themselves. Aided by Boxy and Harry, they fought so vigorously that inside of ten minutes the bully and his chums were put completely to rout. Sully and Dixon, and also Len Spencer, Pickles’ particular enemy, were greatly enraged over the way they had been used. They threatened vengeance on the members of the Zero Club. How they carried out their threat will be seen later on. CHAPTER VI. LAST RIDE ON THE BUSTER. By Saturday noon the iceboat was finished. It was nearly thirty feet long, and boasted of a mainsail only. It was by no means a handsome craft, and the boys did not doubt but what there were many crafts on the river that could outspeed her. “But she’ll be safe and sure,” remarked Jack, “and that is what we want.” “We must christen her before we make a trial trip this afternoon,” said Andy. “We have suggested a hundred names, and not chosen any.” “Let us put each name on a slip of paper, and put all the slips in a hat,” suggested Boxy. “Then Harry draw one, and that shall be the name.”