her
boarding school some miles away. He was a tall, slim fellow with a
tremendously good opinion of himself, and showed a disposition to "lord
it over everybody," as Sam Day had expressed it. He was something of a
dude, and it was their mutual regard for dress that caused him and Nat
Poole to become intimate.

"Then I believe Poole and Merwell are the guilty parties," declared
Dave. "They must have seen us land, and Poole, I know, is itching to pay
us back for the way we have cut him."

"All of which doesn't bring back the ice-boat," observed Messmer. "The
question is, What are we to do?"

"Hoof it back to Oak Hall--there is nothing else," answered the
senator's son, sadly.

Hardly had Roger spoken when Dave heard a peculiar sound on the rocks
behind the crowd. He looked back and saw Mike Marcy's mule, nibbling at
some bushes.

"The mule--I'm going to catch him!" he ejaculated, and made a leap for
the animal. Just as the mule turned he caught hold of the halter.

"Whoa there! Whoa, you rascal!" he cried, and then, watching his chance,
he flung himself across the mule's back. The animal pranced around in a
lively fashion.

"Look out, Dave, he'll throw you!"

"He'll kick you to death if he gets a chance!"

"Remember, he's a vicious beast!"

The mule continued to dance about and kicked high in the air, throwing
Dave well forward. But the boy who had been brought up on a farm clung
on, grasping the mule's ears to steady himself. Then of a sudden the
mule turned and dashed away through the bushes.

"He's running away with Dave!"

"Look out for the tree branches!"

Dave paid no attention to the cries. He had all he could do to keep from
falling under the animal. Away went boy and mule, over the rough rocks
in a fashion which nearly jounced the breath from the rider's body.
Then, just as they came close to some low-hanging trees where Dave felt
certain he would be hurt, the mule turned again, leaped for the shore,
and sped out on the ice of the river.

"So that's your game!" cried Dave, between his set teeth. "All right; if
you want to run you can carry me all the way to Oak Hall!"

Away went the mule, as if accustomed to run over the ice all his life.
He was a sure-footed creature and took only one or two slides, which
amounted to nothing. The boys on the shore saw Dave and mule disappear
in the darkness and set up a cry of wonder.

"Hi! come back here, Dave!" sang out Roger.

"If you are going to ride