He waited till the boys were on their way back. By this time Luke was some eight rods in advance of his leading competitor. Then Tom began to be on the alert. As Luke came swinging on to victory he suddenly placed himself in his way. Luke's speed was so great that he could not check himself. He came into collision with Tom, and in an instant both were prostrate. Tom, however, got the worst of it. He was thrown violently backward, falling on the back of his head, and lay stunned and motionless on the ice. Luke fell over him, but was scarcely hurt at all. He was up again in an instant, and might still have kept the lead, but instead he got down on his knees beside Tom and asked anxiously: "Are you much hurt, Tom?"
Tom didn't immediately answer, but lay breathing heavily, with his eyes still closed.
Meanwhile, Randolph, with a smile of triumph, swept on to his now assured victory. Most of the boys, however, stopped and gathered round Luke and Tom.
This accident had been watched with interest and surprise from the starting-point.
"Tom must be a good deal hurt," said Linton. "What could possibly have made him get in Luke's way?"
"I don't know," said the teacher, slowly; "it looks strange."
"It almost seemed as if he got in the way on purpose," Linton continued.
"He is a friend of Randolph Duncan, is he not?" asked the teacher, abruptly.
"They are together about all the time."
"Ha!" commented the teacher, as if struck by an idea. He didn't, however, give expression to the thought in his mind.