e ice
by the outer edge of the cove. Harry Hazelton and Dan snatched
short lengths of rope and knotted them around either end of the
raft.

"Some of you men make another raft, just like that one!" shouted
Dave, who, at the time, was busily engaged in making a noose at
one end of a long coil of half-inch rope.

"Here, you two men get hold of the other end of this," ordered
Dave, running up with the coil of rope.

Then, hardly waiting to make sure that they had the rope, Dave
turned to Harry and Dan, calling to them to help him push the
raft out beyond the cove. A dozen men and boys tried to help,
all at once, but Dave and Harry saw to it that no speed was lost
by blundering.

The raft was not difficult to push out over the ice.

"Now, let me have it alone," shouted Dave. "The ice may break
at any point beyond."

So Dave tugged and pushed, guiding the small raft before him.

Cra-ack! Dave and the raft went through the ice, but Darrin quickly
climbed up astride of the ties.

Out beyond, Dick was holding up Fred Ripley, whom he had found
and brought to the surface. Fred's eyes were nearly closed.
After his second drop below, the Ripley lad was nearly spent.

Glancing back, Dave saw that another raft was being pushed out
by the two men who held the rope that was noosed under his shoulders.

"Now, halt where you are!" Dave Darrin shouted back. "Toss me
a long rope that I can throw out to Prescott!"

The rope came swirling. Dave caught it easily enough. Then,
still sitting on the raft, his legs, of course, in the water,
Darrin recoiled the rope.

"Can you spare a hand to catch, Dick?" shouted Dave.

"Surely!" came back the steady answer.

The coil flew out across the thin ice. One end splashed in the
water. Guiding the all but helpless Fred, Dick swam to the rope's
end.

Further back the two men who held to the rope connecting with
Dave had seated themselves across the second raft. If the ice
broke at _that_ point they would have little difficulty in making
themselves safe.

"Ripley, stir yourself!" ordered Dick. "Can you take hold of
this rope, and keep hold of it" Can you climb across the thin
ice, holding onto the rope and being towed if the ice breaks?"

"I---I---I'm afraid," chattered Ripley. "You come with me!"

"It'll be a good deal easier if you can go first, and alone,"
spoke the freshman, rather sternly. "I think I can keep myself
afloat until you get over to solid ice. Then t