"Mrs. Gleason said she would come over before supper time," Laura Polk
said. Mrs. Gleason was the physical instructor at the Hall.

"Let's get her on our sled!" cried Bess.

"Let's!" chorused the others.

But no teacher save Professor Krenner was on the brow of the hill when
the _Sky-rocket_ was hauled into position again. This time Nan steered,
with firmly braced feet, her mittened hands on the wheel-rim, and her
bright eyes staring straight down the course.

"Are you ready?" cried the professor, almost as eager as the girls
themselves. Then he blew the warning blast to tell all below on the
hillside that the _Sky-rocket_ was coming.

Ta-ra! ta-ra! ta-ra-ra-ra! Ta-_rat!_

With a rush the sled was off. It disappeared around the evergreen clump.
The hum of its runners was dying away when suddenly there sounded a
chorus of screams, evidently from the _Sky-rocket_ crew. Following this,
a crash and a turmoil of cries, expressing both anger and fright, rang
out upon the lower hillside.




CHAPTER II