The Mystery at Putnam Hall: The School Chums' Strange Discovery

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  TO THE RESCUE

  "If this weather keeps on, skating and iceboating will soon be over,Jack."

  "Right you are, Pepper. I think if we want any more skating this seasonwe had better go out this afternoon."

  "Just what I say!" cried Dale Blackmore. "If it starts to rain the icewill be gone in no time."

  "All out for a skate, as soon as school is dismissed!" came from Andy.

  A week had passed, and during that time nothing had been learnedconcerning the robbery at Point View Lodge. Mr. Ford had hired two citydetectives but, so far, neither these men, nor the local constable, hadbeen able to accomplish anything. One city detective was trying tolocate Cameron Smith, but that individual could not be traced.

  During the past few days the weather had moderated greatly. Much of thesnow was gone, and the cadets feared that soon the ice on the lakewould disappear and then skating would be a thing of the past.

  "Spring will be here before you know it," said Pepper.

  "Yes, and then summer, and the end of our days at Putnam Hall," addedJack, with something of a sigh.

  "Jack, how are you getting along in your studies?" questioned Andy.

  "Fairly well. I find Latin rather hard. How about you, Andy?"

  "Mathematics is my bugbear, Jack. Some of those problems old Crabtreegives us are corkers."

  "Well, you must be sure to pass, Andy, and then it will be good-by toCrabtree forever."

  After school was dismissed about twenty of the cadets hurried down tothe lake-front to go skating.

  "I see Reff Ritter has hired the _Rosebud_ again," remarked Pepper, ashe was adjusting his skates. "Fred, are you going to take out the_Skimmer_?"

  "No, I don't think it is safe. Skating is one thing; to sail a heavyiceboat is another."

  "Just my idea," added Stuffer.

  They watched Reff Ritter sail away. The only person with the bully wasGus Coulter. Jack and Pepper watched Ritter closely and then lookedquestioningly at each other. What did Ritter know about Cameron Smith,and was the man really the fellow who had robbed the Ford mansion?

  Soon the merry shouts of the cadets proved they were enjoying themselvesthoroughly. Some started a race, while others formed sides for a hockeycontest, with Dale Blackmore as captain of one five and Emerald Hogan ascaptain of the other.

  "Let us go down the shore a bit," suggested Jack to Pepper and Andy, andthe three joined hands for the spin. All felt like "letting out," asAndy expressed it, and they covered over a mile almost before they knewit.

  "The ice is getting pretty rotten," said Jack, as his skate cut in sodeeply that he would have fallen had not his chums supported him.

  "Yes, a day or two more and skating will be at an end," answered Andy.

  "Jack, are you going in for baseball this spring?" questioned Pepper.

  "No, I am going in for nothing but study towards the end of the term."

  "Well, I guess I'll have to do the same--if I want to graduate,"answered Pepper, and he heaved a deep sigh as he thought of all the funhe would have to miss.

  The three cadets skated on until they came to a spot where the shoremade a sharp turn. On the point of land were a number of trees andbushes, so they could not see what was beyond.

  "Listen!" cried Andy. "Somebody is calling!"

  "Help! help!" came the cry. "Help!"

  "Somebody must have broken in!" exclaimed Jack. "Come on, maybe we cansave him!"

  He broke away and led around the point of land. Beyond were some rocksand a sort of cove, where the ice was extra soft.

  "There is an iceboat!" exclaimed Andy. "It's the _Rosebud_!"

  "It's in the water!" ejaculated Pepper. "And see, Gus Coulter isclinging to it."

  "Where is Ritter?"

  "I don't know."

  "I see Ritter!" burst out Jack. "He is clinging to the ice yonder,trying to crawl out! Come on, fellows, we've got to help them both."

  "Help! help!" screamed Gus Coulter, and his voice showed that he wasalmost scared to death. Ritter did not call, but was making franticefforts to get on top of the ice, which seemed to break away as heplaced his weight on it.

  It took Jack, Pepper and Andy but a minute to get to the vicinity of themishap. As he skated forward, the former major of the school battalionstripped off the sweater he was wearing.

  "Join hands with me," he called to his chums. "Now be careful; not toonear the hole, remember. I'll throw Ritter the end of the sweater."

  His chums understood, and while they held hands, Jack advancedcautiously. The ice cracked ominously, but step by step he drew closerto where Ritter was clinging.

  "Catch hold!" he cried, as he swung one end of the sweater toward theunfortunate youth.

  "You--you won't let go?" questioned the bully, suspiciously.

  "Of course not!" retorted Jack. "Hold tight now, and we'll haul you up."

  He gave the signal, and Andy and Pepper pulled back with all theirmight, and Jack did the same. Slowly but surely Reff Ritter came up outof the icy water, his teeth chattering loudly. Soon he was out ofdanger.

  "Run for the nearest farmhouse!" cried Jack. "Put the sweater on if youwant to," and he tossed the garment over.

  "It was Coulter's fault," growled Reff Ritter. "He swung the sail thewrong way." And then he ran off as advised.

  "Such meanness!" snorted Pepper. "And Coulter may be drowned!"

  "Ritter was always willing to lay the blame on somebody else," addedAndy.

  The chums skated as closely as possible to where the iceboat wasdrifting in a sheet of open water--a spot where some days before afarmer had been cutting ice. To the craft Coulter was clinging and stillcrying piteously.

  "Help!" came in a chattering tone. "Please help me, somebody, or I'll bedro--drowned! I can't ho--hold on mu--much lon--ger!"

  "We are coming, Coulter!" yelled Pepper.

  "I'm nearly fro--frozen to de--death!" chattered the suffering cadet.

  "If we only had a line we might throw it to him," said Andy.

  "I've got an idea!" exclaimed Pepper. "Come on and get that fallentree!"

  He pointed to the shore, where a long sapling lay partly uncovered inthe snow. He skated off for this, with Andy at his heels.

  While Andy and Pepper were doing their best to get the sapling out ofthe snow and drag it over the ice, Jack circled the spot where the_Rosebud_ was drifting. The iceboat was now within ten feet of the ice,so he could see Coulter quite plainly. The poor fellow had been duckedin the water and was shaking from head to feet from cold.

  "We'll soon have you ashore, Gus!" he called out. "Keep up yourcourage."

  "I--I can't hold on much longer!" was the gasped-out reply. "I amfree--freezing to de--death!"

  At that moment a blast of air came sweeping across the lake. It caughtthe sail of the iceboat and tilted the craft over in the water.

  "Oh! oh!" screamed Coulter, and then, as the iceboat whirled around, theexhausted cadet lost his grip and commenced to slip slowly downward.Soon he was in the water up to his shoulders.

  "Save me!" he yelled. "Oh, Ruddy, don't let me drown! Please sa--savem--me! Please!" And then of a sudden his head went under out of sight!

  Jack was for the moment struck dumb with horror. He felt that Coulterwas drowning before his very eyes. Then a sudden noble determinationcame to him, and measuring his distance carefully he leaped for theiceboat and managed to catch the swaying mast. He went down in the waterup to his knees, but held on to a stay with his left hand.

  The icy water made the youth gasp. But he set his teeth hard and lookeddown for Coulter. Presently he saw the other cadet bob upward. Then ahand came up and was waved frantically. Jack tried his best to reachthat hand, but could not. Then Coulter commenced to sink again fromsight.

  "I must save him! I must!" thought Jack, and an instant later leapedboldly into the waters of the icy lake.