And now, having introduced these young ladies in a proper manner, let us return to them at the time when they were struggling on the ice and in the midst of the frightened crowd rushing hither and thither, striving to save itself from being immersed in the icy waters of the lake.
"Oh! oh! What shall we do?" cried May in terror, as she clung to her companion's arm.
"Come on! We'll have to skate away from here!" burst out Ruth. "Come! let us see if we can't get to shore," and she started off, her companion still clinging to her.
In the meanwhile, Jack and Randy were skating as fast as possible in the direction where they had seen the two girls. But now a crowd of cadets and town folks swept in front of them, and the next instant Randy was hurled flat on his back and went spinning across the smooth ice.
By this time one of the spots on the lake had broken through, and the water was rapidly rising all around it and covering the sinking surface. Men, women and children mingled with the cadets and hurried in all directions, but most of them toward the shore.
"Come on! We've got to help those girls somehow!" panted Jack, as he skated over to where Randy had been flung. He assisted his cousin to his feet just as Fred and Andy flashed up.
"The girls! Don't you see them over there? They are going down!" yelled Fred.
"Yes, I see them! Come on!" answered Jack.
As tired as he was because of the race, the oldest Rover struck out with all the vigor he could muster. Soon he found himself sloshing through water that was several inches deep. The next moment he stood beside the two girls, who had become almost too frightened to move.
"Come on! Don't stand here!" he called, catching Ruth by the arm.
He looked back and saw that Fred and the others were close behind him, and that Fred already had hold of May. Then he started off up the lake.
"Oh, Jack, hadn't we better head for the shore?" gasped the frightened girl.
"No. There is too much of a crowd in that direction already," he answered quickly. "If they don't look out they'll all go in. Come on! The best thing to do is to get out where there isn't anybody."
He skated on, allowing the girl to rest on his arm as he did so. Soon they seemed to be out of the danger zone, and then he looked back.
The sight that met his gaze filled him with new alarm. Fred had been skating with May close beside him, but their feet had caught in one of the new cracks, and both of them had gone down headlong. Andy and Randy had been close behind, and now they too went sprawling, while the ice cracked ominously, as if ready to let them down into the water at any instant!
CHAPTER III
OUT OF PERIL
"Oh look! May and Fred have both gone down!" cried Ruth.
"Yes, and there go Andy and Randy over them!" exclaimed Jack.
"And look, Jack, the ice is cracking everywhere!" continued the frightened girl. She clutched his arm and looked appealingly into his face. "Oh! what shall we do?"
"Spread out, you fellows! Spread out!" yelled the oldest Rover boy. "Spread out! Don't keep together!"
His cry was heard, and an instant later Andy commenced to roll over on the ice in one direction while his twin rolled in another. In the meantime, Fred had managed to scramble to his feet, and now he pulled up May.
"Come on, we'll soon be out of danger," encouraged the youngest Rover; and, striking out, he pulled May behind him, the girl being too excited to skate.
In less than a minute the danger, so far as it concerned the Rovers and the two girls from Clearwater Hall, was past. All reached a point where the ice was perfectly firm. Here Ruth speedily gained her self-possession, but May continued to cling closely to Fred's arm.
"I'm going to see how they are making out in front of the boathouse!" cried Randy. "Some of the skaters must have gotten in."
"I'm with you," returned his twin. He looked back at his cousins. "I suppose you will look after the girls?"
"Sure!" answered Jack quickly. "Go ahead."
"I don't suppose we can be of any assistance down there?" came from Fred.
"I don't think so, Fred. There is too much of a crowd as it is; they will simply be in one another's way."
"Oh! oh! suppose some one should be drowned!" moaned May.
"Let us hope for the best," answered Jack. He did not want to add to the girls' fright, yet he was decidedly anxious over the outcome of the unexpected catastrophe.
They skated toward the shore at a point between Colby Hall and the town, and then they worked their way along shore up to the vicinity of the military academy. Here men and cadets were rushing hither and thither, some with planks and others with ropes.
"Six of the cadets broke through," announced Spouter Powell, as he came up to learn if his cousin was safe.
"They are all out, aren't they?" questioned Jack quickly.
"Yes. But there may have been others that went under the ice. Professor Brice and Mr. Crews are going to make a thorough search." Crews was the gymnastic instructor.
The excitement continued for fully half an hour. By that time it was ascertained that every one had gotten off of the ice or out of the water in safety. Those who had gone down were rushed to shelter, so that they might not catch cold. Gradually the crowd dispersed, and then Professor Brice had danger signs placed at various points on the ice, so that there should not be a repetition of the accident.
"The thing would not have occurred had not the entire crowd happened to congregate around the winners of the skating race," explained Professor Brice to Colonel Colby.
"You think the ice is thick enough for any ordinary crowd?" questioned the master of the school anxiously.
"Yes, sir. You can test it for yourself."
"Well, we must be more careful in the future, Mr. Brice. We don't want any of our cadets drowned."
"We won't have any such crowd again if I can avoid it," was the reply.
"It's all nonsense to have such races anyway. It encourages too much rowdyism," was the comment of Asa Lemm, one of the language professors. Lemm was the least liked of all the teachers at the Hall. He did not believe in a boy's having any fun, but expected the cadets to spend their entire time in studying. He had once been fairly wealthy, and the loss of his money had made him sour-minded and disagreeable.
"I cannot agree with that opinion," returned Colonel Colby coldly. "The boys must have some exercise. And to be out in the fresh air is a very good thing for them. They will study so much the better for it."
"Maybe; but I doubt it," answered Asa Lemm shortly. "You let a boy go out and carouse around, and the first thing you know he won't care for anything else," and he strode away with his chin held high in the air and his lips tightly compressed. He was a man of very positive ideas, which he tried at every opportunity to impress upon others.
"Aren't your feet wet?" questioned Jack suddenly, as he looked down at the skating shoes worn by Ruth and May.
"Well,