y," Tom Gray called, "won't you wait a minute? I have something
to tell you."

"Catch me first!" she cried.

She turned and began skating for dear life, bending from the waist and
going like the wind.

"I think I'll try and catch her from the front," he said to himself. "I
don't propose to tumble in, too, and leave poor Grace to fish, us both
out."

With arms swinging freely, he made for the center of the pond. As he
whizzed past the girl, he turned with a wide sweep and came toward her,
pointing at the same time to the white flag. But it was too late. In her
effort to outstrip him, Julia slid heavily into the danger zone.

There was a crash and a splash, then down she went into the icy water,
followed by Tom, who had seized her arm in a fruitless effort to save her.

For an instant Tom was paralyzed with the coldness of the water. Still,
keeping a firm grip on the arm of the girl who had been responsible for
his ice bath, he managed to clutch the ledge of ice made by their fall
with his free hand.

"Take hold of the ice and try to help yourself a little," commanded Tom.

Julia made a half-hearted attempt, and managed to grasp the ledge, but her
hold was so feeble that Tom dared not withdraw his support He was
powerless to act, and they would both drown unless help came quickly.

CHAPTER XIV

A BRAVE RESCUE

Grace was still where she had fallen, cooling a large, red lump on her
forehead by applying her handkerchief first to the ice and then to the
swollen place, when she suddenly felt herself to be entirely alone in the
world.

"Everybody has gone home to dinner!" she exclaimed, as she glanced over
her shoulder at the other end of the pond, now denuded of skaters.

Then she shifted her position, looking for Tom and Julia. She had never
dreamed, when she saw her friend go whizzing across the ice, that he had
not caught the reckless girl in time to warn her of her danger.

In a flash she saw the empty expanse of ice before her. She leaped to her
feet, balancing herself with difficulty, for her head was still dizzy from
the blow.

"Tom! Tom Gray!" she called. "Where are you?"

"Run for help!" came the answer. In another moment she saw them clinging
to a broken ledge of ice, Tom supporting Julia Crosby.

As for the junior captain, she was weeping bitterly, and making no attempt
to help herself.

Grace anxiously scanned the expanse of the ice. It was nearly a mile to
the other end of the pond,