"Come on! Don't stand here!" he called, catching Ruth by the arm.
He looked back and saw that Fred and the others were close behind him, and that Fred already had hold of May. Then he started off up the lake.
"Oh, Jack, hadn't we better head for the shore?" gasped the frightened girl.
"No. There is too much of a crowd in that direction already," he answered quickly. "If they don't look out they'll all go in. Come on! The best thing to do is to get out where there isn't anybody."
He skated on, allowing the girl to rest on his arm as he did so. Soon they seemed to be out of the danger zone, and then he looked back.
The sight that met his gaze filled him with new alarm. Fred had been skating with May close beside him, but their feet had caught in one of the new cracks, and both of them had gone down headlong. Andy and Randy had been close behind, and now they too went sprawling, while the ice cracked ominously, as if ready to let them down into the water at any instant!