Dave stated their requests, Prescott adding:

"But please be sure to make our parents understand that we're
safe. We don't want them seared to death."

Fred Ripley took a long swallow of the steaming stuff in his
bowl. As he did so he took a furtive glance in the direction
of the freshmen.

Was he going to attempt to thank them for having risked their
own lives to help him back to safety?

CHAPTER XX

OUT FOR THAT TOBOGGAN!

Ben Badger came to the shore edge of the ice, megaphone in hand
announcing in stentorian tones:

"Our friends are safe---even jolly. The sports will now go on!"

First on the card was a free-for-all dash of a half mile, standing
start. The trophy was a regulation target revolver.

Badger, of the first class, and Purcell, of the sophomore, held
the lead and all but tied each other at the outset. Third in
order came Stearns, the agile little right end of the eleven.
When half the distance had been traveled it was noticed that
Stearns was creeping up on the leaders.

"Look out, Ben, or the little fellow will get you!" roared friends.

Stearns continued to gain, slowly. Purcell dropped back to third
place. None of the other eight in the race seemed likely to do
anything effective.

"A little more steam, Ben!"

"Stearns, you can get it!"

In the last eighth of the distance Stearns made good. Summoning
all his football wind and speed the little right end closed and
shot ahead. Not once in the remainder of the course did Ben Badger
quite catch up with his smaller opponent. Stearns won by some
fifteen yards.

The racers came slowly back, breathing harder than usual. As
soon as jovial Ben felt equal to the task of further announcing,
he picked up the megaphone, shouting:

"As I didn't win, all the further events are postponed!"

There was stupefied silence for a few moments. Grown people and
the students looked from one to another. Then a guffaw started
that swelled to a chorus of laughter.

"The next event on the card," called Ben, satisfied with the effect
of his joke, "is the free-for-all fancy skating event. The contestants
will come before the judges one at a time. Each entrant is limited
to two minutes, actual time."

There should have been some girls entered in this event, but there
were none. Six H.S. boys from the different classes came forward.

"Fred Ripley loses his chance," muttered some one.

"He _had_ his chance. A fellow who prefers to s