Craig.

But there was Cora Rathmore, her oldtime roommate and enemy, right
ahead. Cora seemed to deliberately block her way, for occasionally she
threw a glance behind her, and changed her course as Nancy tried to
slip by.

The race was not between Cora and Nancy. There were two older girls
ahead and it would have been hardly possible, at this stage of the
contest, for either of the freshmen to overtake the leaders.

But it was evident that the Rathmore girl did not intend to let Nancy
pass her. Once again the latter tried to turn out; and then, seeing that
Cora flung herself that way, Nancy struck into a wide curve that should
have taken her completely around Cora.

But as Nancy struck her left skate upon the ice again, something clashed
with it, checked her course abruptly and, if she had not flung herself
sideways upon the ice, and slid, she might have wrenched her foot badly.

"Oh! oh!" shrieked Jennie. "Nancy's been thrown!"

But her friend picked herself up at once, and with a laugh skated on
after the other contestants. One of the first-class girls won.

"How did you come to fall?" demanded Jennie, with lively interest.

"Oh, it must have been a twig sticking up in the ice," declared Cora,
before Nancy could reply. "You can't see them at night."

"Was that it, Nance?" demanded Jennie, suspiciously.

"It--it must have been," admitted Nancy. But in her heart of hearts
Nancy knew that she had stumbled over the toe of Cora Rathmore's skate.
The girl had deliberately thrown her.

It made no difference in the result of the race. Nancy could not have
won, she knew. But it warned her to look out for Cora Rathmore if she
raced again with her.

Nancy rested after that, refusing to enter any of the minor contests
until the long race--the _piece de resistance_ of the evening--was
called.

This was the endurance test that Miss Etching was anxious to have go off
well. The physical instructor of Pinewood Hall had an object in putting
her girls against a two-mile skate. More than Jennie Bruce had noted the
fact that many of the best skaters among the juniors and seniors lacked
"wind."

It was hard for the instructor to watch all the girls closely enough to
be sure that they dressed properly even in the gym work. She had warned
them to dress loosely under their warm sweaters for the ice, too; for in
skating every muscle in the body needs free play.

But certain girls, like Grace Montgomery among the freshmen, a