there was not enough to hinder traffic for
the sturdy lumbermen and hunters of that region.

The wind had died down, and it was not cold, so when Mr. Macksey
announced that he was going back after the broken-down sleigh, Ruth and
Alice asked permission to accompany him.

Before starting off Mr. Macksey had set a gang of men, hired for the
occasion, to scraping the snow off the frozen lake, and when Ruth and
Alice came back they found several of the picture players skating,
while Russ was getting ready to film one of the first scenes of the
drama.

"You're in this, Mr. Sneed," said the manager. "You are supposed to be
skating along, when you trip and fall breaking your leg----"

"Hold on--stop--break my leg! Never!" cried the grouchy actor.

"Of course you don't really injure yourself!" exclaimed the manager,
testily.

"Oh, why did I ever come to this miserable place!" sighed Mr. Sneed. "I
despise cold weather!"

But there was no help for it. Soon he was on the steel runners gliding
about, while Russ filmed him. Mr. Sneed was a good skater, and was not
averse to "showing off."

"All ready, now!" called the manager to him. "Get that fall in right
there. Russ, be ready for him!"

"Oh!" groaned the actor. "Here I go!"

And, as luck would have it, he, at that moment, tripped on a stick, and
fell in earnest. It was much better done than if he had simulated it.

But something else happened. He fell so heavily, and at a spot where
there was a treacherous air hole, that, the next instant Mr. Sneed broke
through the ice, and was floundering in the chilly water.

CHAPTER XII

THE CURIOUS DEER

"Quick! A rope!"

"No, boards are better!"

"Fence rails will do!"

"Oh, get him out, someone!"

These were only some of the cries uttered, following the accident to Mr.
Sneed. Meanwhile he was doing his best to keep himself above water by
grasping the edge of the ice.

But it crumbled in his fingers, and he was so shocked by the sudden
immersion, and by the cold, and his skates were so heavy on his feet,
that he went down again and again. Fortunately the lake was not deep at
that point, and as he went down his feet would touch bottom, and he
could spring up again.

"Don't go out there!" warned Mr. Pertell, as Paul started for the spot.

"Why not?" asked the young actor.

"Because the ice is probably thin all around that place. I don't want
two of you in. Hold on, Mr. Sneed!" he cried to the desperate ac