"I wonder," began Jack and then without finishing his half begun
sentence he dashed madly from the pilot house and flung himself into the
bow of the yacht now gaining headway under the impetus of the engines.
Flat on deck he fell and crawling to the rail peered eagerly over the
side. His friends saw him turn an agonized and pleading glance in their
direction and then reach far over the rail of the vessel. In an instant
Tom and Harry were by his side eager to be of any possible assistance to
their chum.
"What is it?" began Tom, but Harry motioned him to silence.
"Sit on his legs!" he commanded and Tom with a flash of comprehension
obeyed unquestioningly. His weight on Jack's feet enabled the captain to
lean far over the rail and grasp the wrists of a clinging figure
gripping with the tenacity of despair the links of the cable that still
hung from the hawse pipes.
Harry, too, leaned far out and in his eagerness to be of help nearly
lost his balance and all but plunged into the sea.
"Steady!" gasped Jack. "Slow and steady now or he's gone!"
With a mighty heave the two boys dragged the figure to a level with the
rail and then Tom left his post and came to their help.
It was now but a short task to get the rescued person on deck, but he
was so chilled and exhausted that he could not stand.
"Let's put him below as quickly as we can, boys," Jack suggested.
"Arnold has some hot coffee already cooking and that'll help him as much
as anything we can do.
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