Returning, a slight breeze behind them favoured their progress, and poor Julius had a sterner chase than ever.
As they neared their starting-point Jeffreys looked about rather anxiously for Scarfe and Raby, who, tiring of their fancy skating, had started on a little excursion of their own out into the lake.
"I wish they wouldn't go that way," said he, as he watched them skimming along hand-in-hand; "it may be all right, but the current is sure to make the ice weaker than out here." "Oh, they're all serene," said Percy.

"I'll yell to them when we get near enough." Presently, as they themselves neared the shore, they noticed Scarfe turn and make for the land, evidently for something that had been forgotten, or else to make good some defect in his skates.

Raby, while waiting, amused herself with cutting some graceful figures and curvetting to and fro, but always, as Jeffreys noted with concern, edging nearer to the river.
Percy shouted and waved to her to come the other way.

She answered the call gaily and started towards them.

Almost as she started there was a crack, like the report of a gun, followed by a cry from the girl.
Jeffreys, with an exclamation of horror and a call to Julius, dashed in an instant towards her.