Page:Rover Boys in the Mountains.djvu/92

76 crawl out and get hold of Granbury," came from Dick, in a determined voice.

"Rover, can you do it?"

"I feel certain I can. Hold tight, please."

Dick leaped upon the plank and threw himself flat. Then he crawled out as fast as he could, until he was on the end over the open water. Holding to the plank with one hand he reached out to grasp George's shoulder with the other.

"Sa—save me!" gasped the drowning boy.

"Give me your hand, George," called Dick.

Granbury tried to do so, but the effort was a failure, for the cold had so numbed him he could scarcely move. Reaching as far as he could, Dick caught a portion of his coat and drew the helpless boy toward him.

The ice cracked ominously, but did not break. Mr. Strong warned the others still further back.

Slowly but surely Dick raised George to a level of the plank. Then with an extra effort he hauled the half-drowned boy up.

"Now haul in on the plank," he called, and Mr. Strong and two boys did so immediately. In a moment more danger from drowning was a thing of the past for George Granbury.

A cheer went up because of Dick's heroic action, but this was instantly hushed as George was seen to stagger back and fall as if dead.