The Rover Boys Series - Stratemeyer Edward

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one enthusiastic sympathizer.

      Fred's pace had been too sharp from the very start, and now he slowly but surely dropped back to second place, and then to third.

      But then Tom Rover began to crawl up. He had held himself slightly in reserve. Now he "let himself out." Whiz! whiz! went the polished pair of steels under him, and soon Wardham, the fellow who had held second place, was passed, dropping behind Fred, thus taking fourth place. Then Tom came up on Gray's heels.

      "Hurrah for Tom Rover!"

      "Go it, Tom, don't let him beat you!"

      "Go it, Gray, Tom Rover is at your heels!"

      Gray did not dare to look back, but at the latter cry he did his best to increase his speed. So did Tom, and while the finishing line was still a hundred yards distant he came up side by side with Gray.

      "It's a tie!"

      "No, Gray is a little ahead yet!"

      "Go in, Gray, don't let him beat you!"

      "Tom Rover to the front! Go it, Tom, for the glory of old Putnam Hall!"

      A wild yelling broke out on every side. On and on went the two boys, with Fred Garrison not two yards behind them. That the finish would be a close one there was no question. The line was but a hundred feet away; now but seventy-five; now but fifty. Still the leaders kept side by side, neither gaining an inch. Surely it would be a tie. The yelling increased until the noise was deafening.

      And then of a sudden Tom Rover shot ahead. How it was done nobody knew, and Tom himself couldn't explain it when asked afterward. But ahead he went, like an arrow shot from a bow, and crossed the line six feet in advance of Gray.

      "Hurrah! Tom Rover has won!"

      "Told you Tom would do it!"

      "Three cheers for Putnam Hall!"

      "And Fred Garrison came in only one yard behind Gray, too, and Tubby is a pretty good fourth."

      "This is Putnam Hall day, thank you!"

      The cheering increased, and Tom was immediately surrounded by a host of admirers.

      Gray felt very sore, and wanted to leave the pond at once, but before he could do so Tom skated up to him and held out his hand

      "You came pretty close to beating me," he said. "I can't really say how I got ahead at the finish."

      "I — I guess my skate slipped, or something," stammered Gray, and shook hands. Tom's candor took away the keen edge of the defeat.

      The Putnam Hall boys were wild with delight, and insisted upon carrying Tom on their shoulders around the pond. A great crowd followed, and nobody noticed how this made the ice bend and crack.

      "Be careful there!" shouted Mr. Strong warningly. "There are too many of you in a bunch!" But ere he had finished the sentence there came another loud cracking, and in a twinkle a section of the ice went down, plunging fully a dozen lads into the icy water below.

      CHAPTER X

       THE END OF THE TERM

       Table of Contents

      "The ice has gone down!"

      "Some of the boys will be drowned!"

      "Get some boards and a rope, quick!"

      These and a score of other cries rang out. In the meantime those near to the hole skated with all speed to one place of safety or another.

      Some of the imperiled boys who had not gone down very deeply managed to scramble out with wet feet or wet lower limbs only, but when the crowd had drawn back it was seen that three boys were floundering in the chilling water over their heads. These boys were George Granbury and Frank Harrington, who had been supporting Tom on their shoulders, and Tom himself, who had been dropped into the opening head first by the frightened lads.

      Realizing that something must be done at once, Mr. Strong ran to the boathouse, which was close at hand, and soon reappeared, carrying a long plank. He was followed by a boy with a rope, and several boys brought more planks and more ropes.

       THE MISHAP ON THE ICE.

      When the first plank was pushed out Tom lost no time in grasping hold of it. He crawled to a safe place on hands and knees, but was so nearly paralyzed he could not stand up.

      "I'll carry him up to the Hall," said Peleg Snuggers, who had chanced upon the scene, and without ceremony he picked Tom up in his strong arms and made off for the school building on a run.

      After Tom came Frank Harrington, who caught hold of one end of a rope tossed toward the hole. As soon as he shouted he had the rope secure, a dozen boys pulled upon it, and Frank was literally dragged from his icy bath. Once on shore he was started on a run for the Hall, some boys rushing ahead to obtain dry clothing for both him and the others.

      Poor George Granbury was now the only one left in danger, and matters appeared to be going hard with him. He clutched at one of the planks thrust toward him, but his hold slipped and down he went out of sight.

      "He'll be drowned! He's too cold to save himself!" was the cry of several who were watching him.

      "Be careful, boys!" came warningly from Mr. Strong. "Be careful, or somebody else will get in!"

      "Mr. Strong, if you will hold the plank, I'll crawl out and get hold of Granbury," came from Dick, in a determined voice.

      "Rover, can you do it?"

      "I feel certain I can. Hold tight, please."

      Dick leaped upon the plank and threw himself flat. Then he crawled out as fast as he could, until he was on the end over the open water. Holding to the plank with one hand he reached out to grasp George's shoulder with the other.

      "Sa — save me!" gasped the drowning boy.

      "Give me your hand, George," called Dick.

      Granbury tried to do so, but the effort was a failure, for the cold had so numbed him he could scarcely move. Reaching as far as he could, Dick caught a portion of his coat and drew the helpless boy toward him.

      The ice cracked ominously, but did not break. Mr. Strong warned the others still further back.

      Slowly but surely Dick raised George to a level of the plank. Then with an extra effort he hauled the half-drowned boy up.

      "Now haul in on the plank," he called, and Mr. Strong and two boys did so immediately. In a moment more danger from drowning was a thing of the past for George Granbury.

      A cheer went up because of Dick's heroic action, but this was instantly hushed as George was seen to stagger back and fall as if dead. Instantly Mr. Strong picked the boy up in his arms and ran toward the Hall.

      "Oh, Dick, how noble of you!" It was Dora Stanhope who spoke, as she came up and placed a trembling little hand on his arm. "And how glad I am that you didn't get in while doing it." And her eyes filled with tears.

      "I — I'm glad too, Dora," he said brokenly. And then added: "Excuse me, but I guess I'd better go up and see how Tom is making out."

      "To be sure, and let me know if it's all right," she replied.

      Once inside the Hall Dick learned that Tom had been put into a warm bed. He was apparently none the worse for his mishap, and likely to be as full of life and fun as ever on the morrow.

      Poor Granbury, however, was not so well off. It took some time to restore him to consciousness, and while Captain Putnam and Mr. Strong put him to bed, with hot-water bags to warm him up, Peleg Snuggers was sent off post-haste for a doctor. As a result of the adventure Granbury had to remain in bed for the best part of a week.

      "I shan't forget you for what you did," he said

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