HARRY IS RESCUED.
"I can stay on deck, can't I?" asked Dora, as she turned the tiller over
to the homeless youth.
"If you wish. But be very careful when the sloop swings around," replied
Jerry. "You did very well," he added.
Dora smiled at this. Then she went forward and settled down, in spite of
the rain, to help look for Harry Parker, whose folks she knew fairly
well.
The Cutwater was put on a different track, and they began to move across
the lake, it being Jerry's idea to cross and recross at a distance of
every six or seven hundred feet.
Twice did they come close to each shore without seeing anything of Harry.
"Gone down, suah's you're born!" said Blumpo, and the tears started out of
his big, honest eyes.
"I am afraid so," returned Jerry, "and yet--hark!"
He put up his hand and all were instantly on the alert. The wind had gone
down somewhat, and from a distance came a low cry. "It's Harry's!" said
Jerry. "Hullo, Harry!" he yelled, with all the power of his lungs.
He waited, and an answering cry came back from toward the center of the
lake. It was very weak, showing that Harry was almost exhausted.
The course of the sloop was instantly changed, and they strove to reach
the spot before the boy should go down.
Jerry was the first to see the form floating about amid the whitecaps.
"Keep up, Harry!" he called encouragingly. "We will soon have you on
board."
"I can't keep up any longer," gasped his chum. "I am played out." And
throwing up his arms, Harry disappeared.
Tying the end of a long rope about his waist, Jerry leaped overboard. He
struck the spot where Harry had gone down and felt in every direction for
his chum.
His hand touched an arm, and then he held Harry fast and brought him to
the surface. The poor boy was too weak to make the first movement.
"Haul in on the rope, Blumpo!" called Jerry.
Turning the tiller over to Dora Vincent, the homeless youth did as
directed.
Jerry, with his burden, was soon brought alongside.
It was no easy matter to hoist Harry on deck in the storm, but at last it
was accomplished, and Jerry followed his charge.
Harry was unconscious, and he was taken to the cabin, where Dora and the
other girls did all in their power for him; and then the Cutwater was
headed for Lakeview, two miles distant.
The hurricane, or whatever it might be called, had by this time spent
itself. The rain ceased and before the lake town came into view the sun
shone once more as brightly as ever.
Clarence Conant came on deck looking very much annoyed. He felt that he
had played the part of a coward, and knew he would have no easy time of it
to right himself in the eyes of the young ladies.
"The--ah--truth is, I was very sick," he explained to Jerry. "I got
a--ah--spasm of the--ah--heart."
"Sure it wasn't a spasm in your great toe?" said Jerry, with a grin.
But Clarence never smiled. It would not have been good form, you know.
As soon as the dock was reached, Jerry left Blumpo to tie up and went to
Harry. He found his chum able to sit up. He was very weak, but that was
all.
"It was a close call for me, Jerry," said Harry, with a shudder. "I owe
you my life."
"It was a close call all around," replied our hero. "We can be thankful
that we are here safe and sound." Harry felt too weak to walk, so a
carriage was called to take him home. Jerry went with him, while Blumpo
went over to the grocery store to tell of all that had happened.
Clarence Conant was utterly left. He tried to excuse himself to Dora
Vincent and the other young ladies, but they would have nothing to do with
him.
"The next time I go out it will be with somebody who can manage a boat,
and who is brave enough to do it, even in a storm," said Dora, and walked
away with her lady friends.
"Beastly bad job, beastly!" muttered Clarence to himself. "And my best
sailor suit utterly ruined, too! Oh, why did that storm have to come up on
us?"
But this was not the end of the matter for the dude.
The row-boat that had been smashed was a valuable one belonging to the
Lakeview Boat Club. They did not care to lose the cost of it, and so
called on Conant to pay for the same.
At first he refused, but when they threatened arrest he weakened. It took
nearly three weeks of his salary to square accounts, and then the young
man was utterly crushed. He never went sailing again.
It did not take Harry long to recover from the effects of his outing on
the lake. Inside of a week he was as well as ever. Blumpo took good care
to tell every one of all that had happened, and on every side Jerry was
praised for his daring work in saving the Cutwater and his chum.
We have spoken of the match to take place between Jerry and Si Peters of
Rockport. This was postponed for two weeks on Si's account.
Si Peters was a tall overgrown youth of eighteen, and was generally
considered to be the best oarsman on the lake.
Consequently, when a match was arranged by the clubs to which they
belonged between the pair it was thought, even by many Lakeview people,
that Si Peters would win.
Si had one great advantage over Jerry. His father was rich, while Jerry's
father was poor. Consequently, while Jerry had to help on the farm during
idle hours Si Peters could go out and practice, and, thus get himself in
perfect condition.
It was this fact that made Si think he was going to have an easy time
defeating Jerry.
But, unknown to him, Jerry got more time than he thought. Harry was
anxious to have his chum win, and spoke to his father about it.
Now, Mr. Parker and Si Peters' father were not on good terms, and the
former readily agreed to a plan Harry proposed.
"Mr. Upton," he said one evening, when he met Jerry's father down in the
town, "I would like to hire Jerry to work for me every afternoon for a
couple of weeks."
"All right, Mr. Parker," said Jerry's father, promptly. "When do you want
him to come?"
"To-morrow, if he can. I'll pay you five dollars a week."
"Very well. You can pay Jerry."
So it was settled, and every afternoon the young oarsman went over to the
Parker place, which bordered on the lake.
Here Jerry would practice in secret in a little cove seldom visited by any
boats.
As the time grew close for the race between Jerry and Si Peters the boat
clubs began to bet on their favorites.
So sure were the Rockpointers that they would win, that they gave the
Lakeview people heavy odds.
Together the two clubs put up as a trophy a silver cup, which later on
would be engraved with the name of the winner.
Of course, Jerry's father soon found out what his son was doing.
But he would not break his bargain with Mr. Parker, and so let Jerry
practice every afternoon, feeling sure that Jerry would not take the money
the rich manufacturer had offered.
"You will win," said Harry, confidently. "I shall try my best," returned
Jerry.
Si Peters and his friends smiled broadly whenever they came over to
Lakeview.
"Jerry Upton won't be in it after the first quarter," said they.
The race was to be a mile, half a mile each way, the turning point being a
well-known rocky island scarcely fifty feet in diameter.
Jerry kept at his practice steadily until the great day for the race
arrived.