Bobsled

“ When they got them all in and packed upon the bobsled for transportation, the snow was a foot deep on the ice and it was snowing so fast that one could not see ten feet into the swirling heart of the storm.
"I declare! it looks as though we were in a mess, with all this snow," complained Tom Cameron.
"And with all these girls," growled Ralph Tingley. "Wish we'd started an hour ago."
"I don't know about starting at all," observed Bobbins. "Don't you see that the girls will give out before we're half-way there? We can't use snowshoes with the snow coming down like this. They clog too fast." ”

“ Just outside the college grounds was a long hill, most excellent for coasting, and it was the custom at Boxwood Hall to have impromptu bobsled races for class and school championships. Ned, [182] Bob and Jerry had bought a big bobsled from a former student, and they had done some coasting earlier in the season.
“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. ”

“ One branch of carpenter work that nearly all boys attempt at some time in their lives is to make a bobsled or double runner, which is a pair of sleds fastened on either end of a board long enough to hold from three to twenty or thirty people. ”

“ That wind must have cleaned off some of the ice, and we can get along a good deal better by skating and by hauling the bobsled over the ice than we can trying to break our way through the woods in this heavy fall of snow. ”

“ Sometimes a group of homesteaders would drive up to [177] the settlement about sundown in a big bobsled behind four horses, the sled filled with hay, heavy blankets and hot bricks. We would shut up shop and the whole staff would crowd into the sled, Imbert tucking Ida Mary in warm and snug. ”

“ Say, did you know a crowd of us are going out to his house to-night to an oyster supper?”
“No, who’s going?”
“Oh, a lot of the town boys and girls, and Grant Stowe and me. John Hardy asked him if a crowd of us couldn’t come out to-night and surprise your sister, and Frank said come along, he’d have some hot oysters for us. The boys have got a big bobsled from the livery stable. I bet we have a lovely time. Why don’t you and Sherm stay in and go out with us–I guess there’ll be room. Anyhow, you can always crowd more into a bobsled, it’s more fun when you’re packed in.” ”

“ An ordinary hand sled can be easily converted into a sled that can be guided like a bobsled by the addition of one extra runner. To attach this runner, a piece of wood is fastened to the under side and in the center at the front end of the sled top. ”

“ Bert had thought the snow would not amount to much, but a little later he, too, got out his sled.
Nan did likewise, and the Bobbsey twins and some of their friends had a jolly time on a little coasting hill not far from the house.
“Winter’s come pretty early this year,” said Charlie Mason, one of Bert’s chums, as the two boys went down the hill together, bobsled fashion.
[Pg 18]
“Yes,” agreed Bert. “We’ll have a lot of fun at school to-morrow, making a snow fort. That is, if the snow doesn’t melt.” ”

“ Nick walked away, and then the younger Bobbsey twins again started coasting, Freddie taking Flossie’s sled back to her.
It was still snowing when noon came, and Flossie and Freddie had to go home to lunch. They found Bert and Charlie busy making a bobsled in the back yard. The older boys were fastening together their sleds by a long plank, 51 and Nan was helping by tacking some strips of carpet on the plank. ”

“ They had to put Dot back on the sled and draw her the final two or three hundred yards to the top of the hill. There, fast as the snow was gathering, they could see where the other coasters had turned the bobsled around and prepared to launch themselves from the top of the hill.
“I guess they slid almost all the way home,” said Tess, with some anxiety. “I hope we can do as well, Sammy.”
“Sure,” agreed Sammy. “Ain’t no need to worry about that. Now I’m goin’ to lie right down, and Dot can straddle me. Then you push off and hang on at the back end of the sled, Tess. Don’t you kids fall off.” ”

“ It melted so fast that by noon there was scarcely enough for Flossie and Freddie to have any fun on even the small hill, and what snow there was had mostly turned to slush.
“Oh, dear,” sighed Nan, when she found that she and her brothers and sister had to give up their pleasure, “this isn’t any fun!”
“That’s right,” agreed Bert. “But the winter isn’t over. We always have a lot of snow after Christmas.”
“And I suppose we ought to be glad there isn’t a big storm,” went on Nan, when it had 55 been decided to give up coasting and the older Bobbsey twins were dragging home the new bobsled. ”

“ The Exciting Sport of Ski-Running
The various forms of coasting with toboggan sleds and bobsleds are all well known to boys who live where there are snow and hills. A sled can be steered either by dragging the foot or by shifting the sled with the hands. Sleds with flexible runners have recently been introduced and are a great improvement on the old type. ”

“ It was the day after I last wrote in my journal. We'd had a heavy fall of snow overnight, followed by a hard frost. The coasting on Eastward Hill was gorgeous, and we spent the whole of the next afternoon there. Just at the last the Imp suggested that we try the slide down the north slope of the hill. It's ever so much steeper than the one we usually take, and is considered rather dangerous.
Louis said we'd better not, but the Imp begged so hard that we agreed to try it just once. So Louis took Carol on his bobsled, and [Pg 69] the Imp and I had the other. ”

“ Jerry answered.
“Push!” cried Bart.
“Push!” echoed Jerry.
The boys behind the two bobsleds exerted their strength, and the long coasters, with their loads of laughing, shouting and merry boys and girls, began to move slowly. Once over the crest of the hill they gathered momentum, until they were shooting down the moonlit streak of ice and snow at ever increasing speed.
[185]
In places water had been poured over the snow, and this in freezing had added a glair that increased the speed of the sleds.
A coasting race is a peculiar one. ”

“ When the boys finally made their escape and raced to the nearest hillside with their bobsleds they found most of the students of the Bayport high school already there. Tony Prito, Phil Cohen, Biff Hooper, Chet Morton and Jerry Gilroy were on hand, as well as many of the girls. ”

“ Bert laughed as he looked out of the window and saw it.
"There'll be coasting now all right!" he cried, as he saw the big stretch of white over the fields and on the hills. "We can have bob sled races, too."
"Can't we come?" asked Flossie.
"We like sled rides," added Freddie.
"You may come part of the time," answered Bert. "But big sleds aren't for little folks like you."
Not far from the Bobbsey home was a long hill that was most excellent for coasting. It was on this that Charley and Bert had decided to test their new sled on a long stretch. ”

“ Room was made for Tommy on the big bob-sled and he was soon gliding down the long hill, Bert steering. Once or twice the smaller boys or girls, on their little sleds, would edge over toward that part of the hill where the big boys and girls, with their sleds or bob-sleds, were coasting.
"Keep out of the way, little folks!" warned Bert. "There's room enough for you on your own side, and you might be hurt."
"And you two be careful," said Nan to Flossie and Freddie. "Stay on your own side." ”

“ Bobbsey remarked.
"If I could borrow one of those ice-boats over there," put in Bert, pointing toward some on the other side of the lake, "I could sail down and get them."
"No more ice-boats to-day!" said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Oh, I do hope nothing happens to Flossie and Freddie!"
"I don't believe they'll be hurt," said their father. "Even if they fall out they can't get much of a bump on the ice, and if they run ashore, as they're likely to do, they'll only fall in the snow. Don't worry." ”

“ It was after school, following the first snow, and the hill was just right for coasting.
"Come on! Come on!" cried a number of boys and girls, as they heard what went on between Danny and Bert. "There's going to be a race on the big hill between the big bobs."
There was much excitement. The sleds were the two largest owned by anyone in the neighborhood, and both were fine ones. Danny had bought his, but Bert and Charley had made theirs, and so, though it was not so fancy, it was stronger. Most eyes were on Danny's sled, for it was painted in bright colors, and brightly varnished. ”

“ It was Freddie and Flossie who asked the last two questions, and Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey who asked the others as Bert, Nan, Harry and Dorothy came into the farmhouse. Oh, how good it seemed after their battle in the darkness with the storm!
"The ice-boat couldn't go on account of the snow," explained Bert, "so we had to leave it and walk."
"And we got lost," added Nan. "Oh, it was terrible out there on the frozen lake!"
"Indeed it was," agreed Dorothy. "I never had such a time in all my life."
"It was too bad," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "You children should have come in the sled with us." ”

“ Almost any boy can easily make a bob-sled, for it is not at all difficult to construct a substantial one from inexpensive materials, and with the tools that nearly every boy possesses.
Fig. 1. A Bob-sled
For the seat obtain a clear spruce plank 10 feet long, 10 inches wide, and 11⁄2 inches thick, planed on both sides and edges. The front sled is 30 inches long and 14 inches wide, with the sides 5 inches high. The rear sled is 40 inches long from prow to end of runners, and is the same width and height as the front one. ”

“ Although the temptation must have been great, nobody cheated by so much as the smallest push.
Bobby owned a sled on which he used to coast. It reposed now in the barn. He wanted very much to slide down hill, but he left the sled in its resting place. Why? Because already Bobby had grown into big boy's estate. He knew his sled would arouse derision and contempt. It had flat runners! And it curved far up in front! And it was built on a skeleton framework! What Bobby wanted, if he were to join the coasting world at all, was a long, low, solid, rakish-built affair with round "spring runners." ”

“ In the end Bert had to accept the offer, and home he went, with Charley and Nan pulling him and with the broken sled dragging on behind.
It was all he could do to get into the house, and as a consequence Mrs. Bobbsey was much alarmed. She took off his shoe and stocking [Pg 49] and found the ankle scratched and swollen, and bathed it and bound it up.
"You must lie down on the sofa," she said. "Never mind the broken sled. Perhaps your papa can fix it when he comes home." ”

“ You are immediately knocked down by some confounded beginner who has lost control and is flying down the hill at the rate of knots. You stagger to your feet gasping, with snow down your neck and both your skis adrift. While you are readjusting them, a bob-sleigh whizzes into you, sweeps you off your feet on top of its crew, and obligingly [Pg 70] overturns down an embankment. The occupants of the sleigh are people you’ve been trying to avoid for years ”

“ Bert detested playing the part of an invalid, but he soon discovered that keeping the ankle quiet felt much better than trying to walk around upon it. That night Mr. Bobbsey carried him up to bed, and he remained home for three days, when the ankle became as well as ever. The broken sled was sent to a nearby cabinet maker, and came back practically as good as new.
"You must not have anything to do with Danny Rugg," said Mrs. Bobbsey to her son. "He is very rough and ungentlemanly." ”

“ He had been some distance ahead of the animal, and when it ran up to the edge of the clearing Bert had several snowballs ready.
“Come on now! See how you like that!” cried the boy. He threw one snowball “bullet,” but he was so excited that it went high over the head of the bobcat. The next one struck in the snow at the feet of the animal. But the third one hit it right on the nose!
“Good shot!” cried Bert.
The wildcat uttered a snarl and a growl, and 212 stopped for a moment. Perhaps it had never before chased anyone who threw snowballs. ”

“ They wanted the young hunter to remain until daylight, and go back with them in the sled, but he said he would rather go on to his cabin now. Perhaps he did not feel that he should remain in Snow Lodge, from where his uncle had driven him in anger years before.
Mr. Burdock gave Mr. Bobbsey directions how to find the cabin, and, as soon as the first streak of daylight showed, the lumber merchant and Sam set off in the big sled. Flossie and Freddie were not awake, or they might have been taken along.
And a little later Bert, Nan, Dorothy and Harry were safe in Snow Lodge once more. ”

“ Bert Bobbsey had thrown himself on his sled and was coasting toward the group of girls, of whom his sister Nan was one. They were on their sleds in the very path of the team. It seemed that nothing could save them. But Bert had a plan in his mind. ”

“ Within a week of his arrival the whole plateau was secure in its well-planned redoubts and in the excellent temper of the civil and military population.
On the twentieth of January, eight days after the King's arrival, the race for the Cobham Cup took place on the bob-sleigh run. For this event bob-sleigh crews had foregathered from far and near, for the Weissheim "bob" run is acknowledged to be the fastest, the most difficult, and the most sporting in the world. A bob-sleigh,—let me explain for the benefit of the uninitiated,—is a very long toboggan capable of holding half a dozen persons. ”