had chosen for their base. As the first of his side struggled towards the corner of the field, shoving their snow boulders, Napoleon left Louis to continue making snowballs while he directed the construction of the defences.
The first line of defence was an arc laid across the corner of the field. In front of that Napoleon left a gap and then had his side construct two further lines of snow boulders, broken by two narrow gaps leading into the open space in front of the first wall. As soon as the foundations were laid, more boulders were placed on top and the joints filled in with loose snow, patted down to provide a firm, even surface. Snapping a long, nearly straight branch from one of the trees overhanging the wall, Napoleon knotted the end of the yellow scarf around one end and planted the banner behind the first wall so that it rose high above.
'They'll see that easily enough,' Louis pointed out.
'That's the general idea,' his friend replied quietly. 'Should be hard for them to resist.'
Napoleon glanced up at the college clock tower. 'Quarter of an hour left.We're nearly ready. Just a few more snow boulders to put in place and then I'll give the orders to our men.'
'Men?' Louis looked at him with an amused expression. 'Taking this a bit seriously, aren't you? It's just a game.'
'Game?' Napoleon pursed his lips. 'That's true. But isn't the point of a game that you should try your best to win?'
'I thought the point of a game was to have fun,' Louis rebuked him mildly.
Napoleon flashed him a smile. 'The fun is in the winning. Now get back to work on those snowballs. I want more reserves piled up inside the walls. Come on, Louis.There's not much time.'
As the other boys put the finishing touches to the defences, Napoleon retired behind the first wall and started to make his own special cache of snowballs. Glancing round to ensure that he was not being observed, he picked small loose chunks of masonry from the walls and packed snow tightly about them before arranging them in a line at the foot of the wall just in front of the banner. When he had finished Napoleon hurried round to the clear ground in the middle of his defences, took a deep breath and called his side to him.
He had a rough idea of the tactics he wanted to apply to the coming battle, and as he spoke, he became aware that the other boys, even the ones who had seemed willing to challenge his authority earlier, were listening to him intently and nodding their agreement to his schemes. Inside, Napoleon felt himself swelling with pride and at the same time there was a huge delight at the pleasure of being in command, of exercising his will over others. When he had finished he folded his arms.'You know your orders. Wait for the signals, carry them out precisely and the day is ours. We'll give Alexander de Fontaine a hiding he won't forget in a hurry!'
At that, someone cheered and the cry was taken up by the rest of the boys surrounding the small thin figure in their midst. For an instant Napoleon was tempted to let his joy show, but now that he was a leader he must control his emotions. He must present a mask of composure. So he merely nodded, let them have a moment of shrill cheering, before he raised his arms to quieten them, and then yelled, 'To your positions!'
As the clock struck twelve a brief silence fell across the field. Even those who were not taking part turned to watch proceedings. A handful of the teachers who had seen the boys constructing their fortifications ventured out to witness the event. From the far end of the field a shrill challenge carried across the open ground towards Napoleon. He smiled grimly, then cupped his hands and shouted out his first order.
'Skirmishers!'
A small party of boys, picked for their speed, advanced through the narrow gaps in the outer wall.The swiftest of them carried the banner Napoleon had thrust into his hands as the last peal of bells rang out. They spread out across the field and advanced towards Alexander's side, clutching a handful of snowballs to their chests. As Napoleon examined the other side's defences he shook his head at the simplicity of his enemy. Alexander had done little more than erect a round rampart with one main entrance. Over the wall Napoleon could make out the tiny black heads of Alexander's team. Beyond the wall he could see the thin red line of his scarf tied to the end of a stick, being waved to and fro. Hardly a formidable defence, and a pointless one, as it happened, since Napoleon had no intention, of letting the smaller and weaker boys of his side attempt an assault. Standing on tiptoe, hands braced on the top of the inner wall, he craned his neck to follow the progress of the skirmishers.
They advanced steadily across the field, the yellow banner some distance to the rear of the line.As they closed on Alexander's fortifications the first snowballs arced up from the enemy's defences and fell harmlessly several paces short of their targets. The skirmishers moved closer, hefting their own snowballs in preparation to lob them over the wall. Still, it seemed, the other side had not the range to hit Napoleon's line. Then Alexander sprang his trap.
A sudden flurry of snowballs rained down on the skirmishers who had successfully been lured into striking distance. But Napoleon had anticipated such an obvious trick and could not help smiling. With a dull roar, the other team came pouring out of the distant fortification and sprinted across the snow towards Napoleon's skirmishers. But the latter were already turning and running away, fleeing back towards their own base. As they ran, some stopped to throw their remaining snowballs quickly before turning and sprinting for cover. Others simply dropped their snowballs and fled.The boy with the banner played his part like a professional, running from his pursuers just fast enough to stay ahead, but not so fast that they didn't charge on in the blind hope of capturing the yellow banner and winning the battle at a stroke.
'Here they come!' Napoleon called out. 'Stand to!'
The boys on his team reached for snowballs and raised their throwing arms.The first of the skirmishers were already hurrying through the gaps in the wall, racing across to the ends of the first line of defences and forming up on either side of Napoleon and Louis. The banner carrier was the last to enter and immediately took up position behind Napoleon where he raised the banner high above his head and waved it slowly from side to side to taunt Alexander's team.
Beyond the outer wall a dense mass of boys had drawn up short of the wall and were throwing snowballs at the defenders. As Napoleon had instructed, the defenders started to lob snowballs back, but in a slower and less deliberate fashion that only excited a roar of triumph and contempt from Alexander's followers. Napoleon's sharp eyes quickly picked out their leader as Alexander forced his way to the front and raised the red banner he grasped in one hand. He pointed at the yellow scarf inside the walls of snow, screaming at his boys to charge home and seize it.
With a shrill cry, they ran forward, heading for the two gaps in the outer wall.They surged through and ran into the space behind the wall where they came up against the first wall Napoleon had constructed.
'Hit 'em!' Napoleon shouted, momentarily forgetting himself in the excitement now that the battle was reaching its climax. 'Fire! Fire at them!'
On either side, his companions let loose a hail of snowballs and cried out in delight at each impact. As more of the opposing team pressed into the open space and compacted the ranks of those in front they presented an unmissable target and snowballs crashed into them from all sides at point-blank range. A number of the braver boys did not shelter their faces and tried to hit the boys bobbing up from the walls around them. Napoleon took a breath and peered over the wall. He saw that almost all of Alexander's side was now between his walls and opened his mouth to shout the next order. At once white powdery crystal exploded off his cheek and the numbing impact momentarily shocked him into silence.
Then, drawing a sharp breath, he called out above the shrill din of the snowball fight, 'Boulders, now!'
The boys who had been waiting for the order thrust their shoulders against the large snow boulders that had been positioned either side of the gaps and now rolled them forward to close the gaps and trap the other side between the two walls. Now Alexander and his friends were caught, with no way out and what little snow lay on the slushy ground underfoot was unsuitable for using as ammunition to hurl back at their tormentors.
Beside Napoleon, Louis was laughing with delight as he threw snowball after snowball into the faces of the other side. Napoleon spared him a glance, and saw that his attention was riveted on the action beyond the wall. Bending down, he scooped up several of his special snowballs and, cradling them against his chest, he selected one and looked for Alexander. The other leader was looking about him in dismay, forearm raised above his head. Napoleon took aim and threw.With a muttered curse he saw the snowball strike the head of a boy behind Alexander and there was a sharp cry of pain as the concealed stone gashed his temple. Napoleon snatched up the next, took aim and threw.This time he scored a direct hit and the snowball shattered on the bridge of Alexander's nose. With a cry that Napoleon heard clearly, Alexander slumped down out of sight, his hands clasped to his face. The red scarf dropped into the crowd at his side. At once Napoleon unleashed the rest of his cache, striking and injuring two more
