CHAPTER XXIV
BETTY GOES COASTING
It did seem a shame that lessons should be as exacting as ever whenoutside the trees bent beneath their white burden and eager eyes werefixed longingly on the hill back of the school.
"You can't coast through the woods, anyway, Betty," Libbie whispered inthe French period. "You may be a wonder, but how can you go through thetree stumps?"
"Don't intend to," whispered back Betty. "There's a cleared space inthere--I'll show you."
"Young ladies, if you please--" suggested Madame politely, and the girlsjerked their thoughts back to translation.
The moment lessons were over that afternoon, they dashed for their sleds.The eight who chummed together had four sleds between them which wasenough for the enjoyment of all. Constance Howard had seen so little snowin her life spent in California that she was very much excited about itand had bought her sled in August to be ready for the first fall. Bobbyhad been to Edentown and bought a little toy affair, the best she couldget there, and Frances Martin had sent home for her big, comfortableVermont-made sled that made up in dependability what it lacked in varnishand polish. Counting Betty's, this gave them four sleds.
There was a conventional hill half a mile away from the school, towardwhich most of the girls turned their steps. On the first afternoon it wascrowded. The Salsette cadets had come coasting, too, for on their side ofthe lake there was not so much as a mound of earth, and whoever wouldcoast must perforce cross the lake.
"We'll go up to the woods," announced Betty. "There will be more room,and it's much more exciting to go down a steep hill."
So it proved. The cleared space to which Betty had referred demandedcareful steering, and Frances Martin at the first glance relinquished thecontrol of her sled.
"I can't judge distances," she explained, touching her glasses, "andI'd be sure to steer straight for a tree. Libbie, you'll have to bethe skipper."
So Libbie took Frances, Betty took Bobby, Constance took Norma on hersled, and Alice steered for Louise, using Bobby's sled.
Such shrieks of laughter, such wild spills! If Ada Nansen had been thereto see she would certainly have been confirmed in her statement thatcoasting was "for children." They were coming down for the sixth timewhen Bob Henderson, the Tucker twins and Timothy Derby appeared.
"We thought we'd find you here!" was Bob's greeting. "Trust Betty to pickout a mystic maze for her coasting. It's a wonder some of you girlshaven't shot down into Indian Chasm!"
"Well, I like a steep coast," said Betty defensively. "I wouldn't give acent a hundred for a little short coast down a gentle slope. Want me totake you down on my sled, Bob?"
"I don't believe I do, thank you just the same," returned Bob politely."Six of you can pile on the bob, though, and I'll give you a thrillingride, safety guaranteed. Who wants to come?"
It ended by all taking turns, and by that time it was half-past four andthey must start back to school.
"I'm coming to-morrow," declared Betty. "I think winter is the nicesttime of the whole year."
"You say that of every season," criticised Bobby. "Besides, I think itwill rain to-morrow; it is much warmer than when we came out."
Bobby proved a good weather prophet for the next day was warmer andcloudy, and when lessons for the day were over at half-past two, a finedrizzle had begun to fall.
"Just the same I'm going," persisted Betty, pulling on her rubbers andstruggling into a heavier sweater. "The snow hasn't all melted, andthere will be enough for a good coast. I think you're a lazy bunch towant to stay cooped up in here and knit. A little fresh air would be goodfor you, Norma."
"I've a cold," said Norma, in explanation of her red eyes. "Anyway, Idon't feel like playing around outdoors. And Alice has gone to bed with aheadache and I'd rather not leave her."
Some had studying to do and others refused to be moved from their fancywork, so Betty and her sled finally set off alone. She knew, of course,that Norma's red eyes were the result of crying, as was Alice's headache.They had definitely decided the night before that they would not returnto Shadyside after the Christmas holidays.
"I think this is a funny world," scolded Betty to herself, as she reachedher favorite hill and put her sled in position. "Here are Norma andAlice, the kind of girls Mrs. Eustice is proud to have represent theschool, and they can't afford to take a full course and graduate. And AdaNansen, who is everything the ideals of Shadyside try to combat, hasoceans of money and every prospect of staying. She'll probably take aP.G. course!"
A wild ride through the slushy snow made Betty feel better, and when, asshe dragged the sled up again, Bob's whistle sounded, the last trace ofher resentment vanished.
"Something told me you'd be out hunting a sore throat to-day," declaredBob, in mock-disapproval. "The fellows all said there wouldn't be enoughsnow to hold up a sparrow."
"Silly things!" dimpled Betty. "There's plenty of snow for a good coast.Take me, Bob?"
"Well, if you'll come on over where there's a decent hill," Bobassented. "With only two on the bob, we want to get some grade. Here,I'll stick your sled in between these two trees and you can get it whenwe come back."
Together they pulled the heavy bobsled up the hill and crossed over thehollow, taking a wagon trail that led up over another hill.
"It's a long walk," admitted Bob, panting. "But wait till you see theride we're going to get."
They reached the top of Pudding Hill presently, and Betty looked downover a rolling expanse of white country covered closely by a loweringgray sky that looked, she said to herself, like the lid of a soup kettle.
"Bully coast!" exclaimed Bob with satisfaction, swinging the bodsled intoposition. "All ready, Betsey?"
"Just a minute," begged Betty, with a delightful little shiver ofexcitement as she tucked in her skirts and pulled her soft hat furtherover her eyes. "Ye-s, now I guess I'm fixed."
They started. The wind sang in their ears and sharp particles of snowflew up to sting their faces. Zip! they had taken one hill, and thegallant bobsled gathered momentum. Betty clung tightly to Bob.
"All right?" he shouted, without turning his head.
"It's fine!" shrieked Betty. "It takes my breath away, but I love it!"
The bobsled seemed fairly to leap the series of gentle slopes that lay atthe foot of the long hill, and for every rise Betty and Bob received abump that would have jarred the bones of less enthusiastic sportsmen.Then, suddenly, they were in the hollow, and the next thing they knewBetty lay breathless in a soft snow bank and Bob found himself flat onhis back a few feet away. The sled had overturned with them.
"Betty! are you hurt?" cried Bob, scrambling to his feet. "Here, don'tstruggle! I'll have you out in a jiffy."
He pulled her from the bank of snow and helped her shake her garmentsfree from the white flakes.
"I'm not hurt a bit, not even scratched," she assured him. "Wasn't that aspill, though? The first thing I knew I was sailing through space, andI'm thankful I landed in soft snow. Where's the sled? Oh, over there!"
"Want to quit?" asked Bob, as she began to help him right the overturnedsled. "We can walk over to where we left your sled, you know, Betty."
"And miss the coast?" said Betty scornfully. "Well, not much, BobHenderson. It takes more than one upset to make me give up coasting."
She seated herself behind Bob again, and with a touch of his foot theybegan the descent of the second hill. The snow had melted more here, andin some spots the covering was very thin. Bob found the task of steeringreally difficult.
"I don't think much of this," he began to say, but at the second word thebobsled struck a huge root, the riders were pitched forward, and for onedesperate moment they clung to the scrubby undergrowth that bordered whatthey supposed was the side of the road.
Then their hold loosened and they fell.
Slipping, sliding, tumbling, rolling, a confused sound of Bob's shouts inher ears, Betty closed her eyes and only opened them when she found thatshe was stationary
again. She had no idea of where she was, nor of howfar she had fallen.
"Bob?" she called timidly at first, and then in terror. "Bob!"
"Look behind you," said Bob's familiar voice.
Betty turned her head, and there was Bob, grinning at her placidly. Hiscap was gone and several buttons were ripped bodily from his mackinaw,but he did not seem to be injured and when he pulled Betty to her feet,that young person found that she, too, was unhurt.
"What happened?" she asked. "Where are we?"
"The bobsled balked," explained Bob cheerfully. "Guess it knew where wewere heading for better than I did. Anyway, you and I took a doubleheader that was a beauty. If you want to see where we came down, justlook up there."
Betty followed the direction of his finger and saw a trail gashed in thesnow, a trail that twisted and turned down the steep, forbidding sidesof a frowning gorge. Was it possible that they had fallen so far andescaped injury?
"Know where you are?" asked Bob, watching her.
Betty shook her head.
"I must have been away off the road," explained Bob. "Betsey, you and Iare standing at the bottom of Indian Chasm."