every boy had his face washed.

"Get back there!" roared Danny Rugg, who was close to the flag, but as
he spoke two boys shoved him down on his face in the snow, and the next
moment Bert and another boy of the invading party had the flag and was
carrying it away in triumph.

"The fort has fallen!" screamed Nan, and clapped her hands.

"Hurrah!" shouted Freddie. "The--the forters are beaten, aren't they?"

"Yes, Freddie."

A cheer was given for those who had captured the fort. Then some of the
boys began to dance on the top of the walls, and down they came, one
after another, until the fort was in ruins, and the great contest came
to an end.

"It was just splendid!" said Nan to Bert, on the way home. "Just like a
real battle."

"Only the band didn't play," put in Freddie disappointedly. "Real
soldiers have a band. They don't play fish-horns."

"Oh, Freddie!" cried Flossie. "They weren't fish-horns. They were
Christmas horns."

"It's all the same. I like a band, with a big, fat bass-drum."

"We'll have the band next time--just for your benefit, Freddie," said