Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/292

of the fort can, without crowding each other, take good aim at the foe. After the four sides of the square are covered by large snowballs, as in Fig. 164, all hands must pack the snow about the bottom and fill up each crack and crevice until a solid wall is formed. Then with spades and shovels the walls should be trimmed down to a perpendicular on the inside, but slanting upon the outside, as shown in Fig. 165. The top of the wall may be two feet broad and the base four feet. When Image missingFig. 165.Snow Fort finished. the wall is finished, prepare a mound of snow in the centre of the square for the flag-staff. This mound will be very useful as a reserve supply in case the ammunition gives out. A quantity of snowballs should next be piled up, inside the walls, at the four corners. This done, the fort is ready for its defenders, and it only remains to equip the attacking force.

The building of a fort generally uses up all the snow around it, making it necessary for the besieging party to carry their ammunition with them upon sleds made for that purpose.

The construction of these sleds is very simple, the materials