The electric lights began to quiver. The whole mass of the roof must be sagging down. Ketchell kicked off his skates and picked them up, preparatory to getting out of the way.
And perhaps it was just as well that he had showed no heroism. Had he skated in for the girl, he could not have aided her in any way.
Trix started for the front of the snow castle. They saw her stoop forward and put on speed, and then--in a flash--the middle of the roof settled and crashed to the floor--and the sound of the wreck almost deafened the onlookers!
They said afterward that the wreck of the snow castle was heard clear to the outskirts of the town. The _Morning Post_ said that it was disgraceful that the school authorities had allowed it to be built. Parents and guardians were inclined to rail against what they had previously praised the boys for doing.
The fact remained, and the calmer people of the community admitted it, that as soon as there was any danger the boys had warned everybody out. That one headstrong girl--and she, only--was caught in the wreckage, did not change the fact that the boys had been very careful.
At the moment the roof of the snow castle crashed in, the only thought of those in sight of the catastrophe was of Trix Severn.
"Oh! save her! save her!" Ruth Kenway cried.
"She's killed! I _know_ she is!" wept Agnes, wringing her hands.
Joe Eldred and Wib Ketchell were as pale as they could be. None of the little group at the entrance moved for a full minute. Then Neale O'Neil brought them all to life with:
"_She wasn't under that fall!_ Quick! 'round to the rear! We can save her."
"I tell you she's dead!" avowed Wilbur, hoarsely.
"Come on!" shouted Neale, and seized a shovel that stood leaning against the snow wall. "Come on, Joe! The roof's only fallen in the middle. Trix is back of that, I tell you!"
"Neale is right! Neale is right!" screamed Agnes. "Let's dig her out."
She and Ruth started after Neale O'Neil and Joe. Wilbur ran away in terror and did much to spread the senseless alarm throughout the neighborhood that half the school children in town were buried beneath the wreckage of the snow castle!
But it was bad enough--at first. The Corner House girls and their boy friends were not altogether sure that Trix was only barred from escape by the falling rubbish.