As the icy waters closed over him, he struck out boldly for the spot where he had last beheld the struggling youth.  Then his hand came in contact with Coulter’s body and he caught the cadet by the arm.

As soon as Coulter felt himself touched, he swung around, and the next instant had Jack by the shoulder, in a grip like that of death itself.

The former major of the school battalion realized only too well that he must not let the drowning boy catch him by the neck, otherwise both would go down to rise no more.  He shoved Coulter as far off as possible and at the same time struck out to regain the surface of the lake.

When the pair came up they were some distance from the iceboat and also some distance from the edge of the ice.

“Help! help!” yelled Jack to Pepper and Andy.

The latter had succeeded in getting the sapling free of the snow, and were dragging it to the ice on the lake-shore.

“Hello, Jack’s in, too!” cried Andy, in horror.

“Hurry with the tree!” yelled Jack, as he commenced to swim for the edge of the ice.  “Quick now, or we’ll both go down again!  This water is frightfully cold.”

A few strokes brought Jack and Coulter to the edge of the ice.  Coulter was still holding fast, but his strength was rapidly growing weaker.  His head shook so that his teeth rattled like castanets.

Luckily Jack reached a spot where the shore ice was tolerably firm.  More than this, the water was somewhat shallow, so he could stand on the bottom while Pepper and Andy shoved out the end of the sapling to him.

“Here, I’ll lift Gus out!” he called, his own teeth chattering not a little.  “He ca—­can’t hel—­help hi—­himself!”

He lifted the other cadet as high as he could and with a shove sent him rolling on the ice beyond.  Andy and Pepper caught Coulter by the feet and immediately dragged him out of harm’s way.  Then Jack caught hold of the end of the sapling and was hauled up by his chums.

“How in the world did you fall in?” gasped Andy.

“I didn’t fall in—­I ju—­jumped in!”

“Oh, Jack!” came from Pepper.  “Talk about nerve!  But come, you had better get to shelter as soon as you can.”

“Yes, I fe—­feel as if I wa—­was turning to i—­i—­ice!” chattered the other.

“The Darwood farmhouse is just over the hill, let us run to that,” suggested Andy.  “Here, put on my sweater!” and he stripped off the garment in an instant.

“Do—­don’t leave m—­me!” came from Coulter.  He was on his knees, being too weak to rise to his feet.

“I’ll carry you on my back!” cried Pepper.  “Come, take hold.”

Coulter was too far gone to aid himself, and Andy had to place him on Pepper’s back.  Then off the whole party started, Andy holding Jack by the arm and thus giving him some support.

“Where did Ritter go?” asked Jack, as they sped over the hill in the direction of the farmhouse mentioned.