elf 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.

"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.

[Illustration: THE MISHAP ON THE ICE.
_Rover Boys in the Mountains_.]

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, b