CHAPTER XV.
THE SNOWBALL BATTLE "Now then, fellows, for the greatest snowball battle of the age!" "Here is where Company A smothers Company B!" "Rats! You mean that Company B will bury Company A out of sight!" "Hi, Major Ruddy! What side are you going on ?" queried Bart Conners, who still commanded Company B.
"He is coming on our side!" answered Henry Lee, the captain of the other company.
"Well, I can't fight on both sides," answered the young major with a laugh.
"Go with the company that wins!" suggested Pepper, with a grin.
"Toss up a cent for it," suggested Andy.
"All right, I'll toss up," answered Jack, and did so, and it was decided that he should fight with Company B.
"Good enough!" cried Pepper, who was in that command.

"Now Company A is licked, sure!" "Not much!" was the answer from Stuffer Singleton.

"We'll win, sure!" "We will, unless you stop to eat a doughnut!" put in Joe Nelson, and at this remark a general laugh went up, for Stuffer had once lost a long-distance running race because he stopped on the way to devour some cookies he had in his pocket.
It was after school hours, and the cadets had gathered on the field where, during the summer, corn had been raised.

It was to be a battle between the two companies of the school battalion, with the company captain as leader on each side.
The preliminary rules were speedily arranged.

Lines were drawn at either end of the field, about five hundred feet apart.