SAVED.
Suddenly from the shore there shot up into the air a long, curving
streak of fire. Then came a dull, booming explosion, and the dark sea
was lit up for a moment. The darkness which followed seemed even more
black than before.
"A rocket!" shouted Frank. "They're giving us a signal."
"Gee," said Jimmy, after a moment, "it feels good to know they're
thinking of us, but it doesn't help much."
"There goes another one!" Rocket after rocket now split the air,
marking distinctly the place for which they were heading. The boys
redoubled their efforts, swimming side by side with a steady over-arm
stroke. Something of the horror of the darkness and the mystery of
the rolling waters was taken away by the thought that the people on
shore knew of their distress and were trying to help. But little
could those on shore know how really bad their plight was. The
rockets were being sent up as a guide to a disabled boat. They could
not know that the long, brilliant sweep of light was being watched by
two boys struggling for their very lives on the surface of the water
itself.
"We must be halfway there, don't you think?" said Jimmy, in a labored
breath.
"We've come a long distance, for the lights look brighter. Can't you
see lights moving on the shore?" returned Frank. "Let's stop and
look."
The boys stopped, trod water and raised themselves high as they
reached the crest of a wave. Frank was right. The lights they saw
were the lights of many lanterns, for the whole town of Seawall had
turned out. Boats were being manned and people ran hither and thither
on the shore peering out to sea.
"Come on now," shouted Frank, who felt heartened by what he had seen,
"let's break the record for the rest of the distance," and, putting
down his head, he tore ahead, followed by Jimmy more slowly, but just
as determined. They had been plugging away for perhaps five minutes
when Frank heard a cry behind him. He stopped instantly and listened.
"Jimmy," he called shrilly, "Jimmy!"
There was no answer. Frank, with a sweep of his hand, turned face
about and dashed back over the course he had come. A dozen strokes
brought him to his companion, whose white face on the surface was his
only guide. "What is it, Jimmy, old fellow?" he cried, as he drew
alongside.
"Cramp," said Jimmy feebly. "It came suddenly in my side. I couldn't
swim and I couldn't take breath enough to yell out. It just doubled
me up."
"Here," said Frank, "rest on me and try to straighten out," for Jimmy
was still doubled up. Jimmy lay back and rubbed his side vigorously,
while Frank slipped an arm under his head and with the other kept
afloat. "It was my fault," he said encouragingly, as Jimmy rubbed the
kink out of his side. "That rocket made me crazy to get to shore."
"No, it wasn't your fault, at all," replied Jimmy, in a stronger
tone. "It was the cold water. I felt it a while back and thought I
could fight it off by working hard, but it got me at last, struck
suddenly just like a knife. I'm all right now; come on," and,
turning over on his face again, he struck out weakly. Frank was at
his elbow watching for any weakness, but as Jimmy continued going
smoothly he lengthened out his own stroke and soon they were back at
the old swing. The halt, however, although only for a few minutes,
had lost them ground, for during the time that they were not swimming
the tide had carried them steadily ahead--but not shoreward. They
were still far from safety.
Now they changed their course a little more to the left so as to cut
across the current, and bore steadily for the lights which seemed to
increase in size. They wasted no more words except occasionally one
would say: "You there?"
The answer would come back from the other: "O. K." or "All right."
They had no extra breath to spare. The distance was surely lessening,
but so was the strength of these two heroic lads. How heavily swung
their arms! Every few minutes they changed the stroke. Sometimes it
was one arm over, sometimes the other, and again it was the trudgeon
or the breast stroke, whichever offered a little rest. Both were
nearly exhausted, but with the courage of despair they swam on,
neither admitting to the other that he was almost done for. They did
not dare to float, for that meant being carried beyond their haven of
safety. If they passed the little indentation where Seawall lay it
was good-by to everything, for they would be carried into the wide
waters of the outer bay and must miserably perish. This knowledge
spun their failing strength out to the last slim thread.
Away ahead the lights danced merrily. It seemed to Frank as if there
were millions of them jumping up and down and swinging sideways. How
friendly they looked, but how utterly useless to help! How deadly
heavy his arm felt! There was no force left in him. How nice it would
be to lie still and rest! He stopped swimming and sank. The cold
under-current chilled him and awakened him to the fact that he was
giving up. "I won't give up! I won't give up!" he said between his
clenched teeth, and he struck out stronger than before. Jimmy was
splashing feebly behind.
"We're nearly there, old fellow," gasped Jimmy.
"Nearly," returned Frank. "Keep it up. Let's shout." They stopped and
shouted, but it was scarcely more than a croak and could not have
been heard fifty yards. "Let's swim," said Jimmy, "shouting is no
good out here." His voice was scarcely more than a whisper. Again
they resumed their weary drive ahead.
Suddenly out of the darkness between them and the shore came a hail:
"Ha-yo, ha-yo, ha-yo!"
Instantly the boys stopped swimming and turned their faces in the
direction of the sound.
"Ha-yo, ha-yo, ha-yo!" came the call again, this time nearer. They
tried to answer the heartening hail but had not strength enough
to send their voices far. They stood in the water close together
and with straining eyes tried to pierce the darkness. Then in the
momentary lull of rushing waters they heard a drumming.
"A motor boat!" cried Frank joyously. "And I see a light. It's coming
this way. Oh, it is going to pass us! Let's yell!"
Together the two raised as loud a shout as they could.
In a moment the drumming stopped.
Again the two lads in the water shouted: "Here! here! here!"
The drumming began and the light at the bow, which showed plainly
now, although the boat itself was still hidden, swung and lurched as
the motor boat swept around in a curve. With rescue in sight the boys
threw their last energy into a fusillade of shouts and soon, "Ha-yo,
where are you?" came a hail from the boat.
"Look out, look out, you'll run us down," yelled the boys.
A bell rang; the motor stopped and cut silently through the waves
only a few yards away.
"Here, here!" shouted Frank.
"Great Cæsar!" said a voice from the boat, "it is some one in the
water. Stop her quick," as the boat was driving past the boys with
her momentum. "Back her! Back her!" yelled the voice now in great
excitement. "We've found them. They're in the water."
In a less time than it takes to tell it the captain had maneuvered
the boat to within reaching distance of the two in the water. Strong
hands reached over the sides and quickly pulled them to safety.
Neither could stand. They sank down into the bottom of the boat.
Frank looked up and saw his father standing over him.
"Back to Flat Rock, quick," gasped Frank. "Quick, there are two boys
out there!"
"Why, Flat Rock is under water at this time of the tide," said the
man at the helm wheel.
"Not yet. Oh, not yet! We left two boys there, and they will be
washed off in a few minutes if you do not hurry."
Instantly the captain ordered full power ahead, and away the boat
shot in the direction of the lonely rock. The two lying in the bottom
of the boat were made as comfortable as possible, and between them
they told the story of what had happened since they put out from
Turner's Point on that eventful night.
As the boat neared the rock the men aboard raised a great shout
and were surprised to hear a feeble cry from what seemed to be the
surface of the water. Maneuvering carefully, guided by the calls from
the water, the boat crept nearer and nearer to the sounds. No sign of
a rock was visible, but the strong light at the bow showed two lads
standing, their hands clasped together, knee-deep in water. They were
on the very highest point of the rock. Quickly they were pulled into
the boat, chilled almost to death by the long exposure. Like Frank
and Jimmy, however, both Peters and Bates were soon wrapped in the
coats of the men aboard, and made as warm as possible.
"Now," said Frank, "the only thing to be done is to find the _Black
Duck_."
"We'll land you boys first," said the captain, and he drove his boat
for Seawall, while the steady purr of the motor deepened into a roar.
The waves shot away from her bows in a shower of foam as she raced
ahead.
What a yell went up from the Seawall people as the boat neared the
Pier, and the glad news was shouted over the water that the boys were
safe and sound! The rescued quartette were quickly put ashore. As
they touched the float, queer figures that they were, all bundled up
in the coats of the men, shouting was heard from the water. "We've
found them!" called a voice.
And even as they waited, in spite of the urgings to hasten to the
house and dry clothes, a motor boat slipped into the circle of light
thrown by the big lamp on the end of the Pier, and behind it came the
_Black Duck_ on the end of a tow line! And in the boat sat Lewis and
Codfish quite calm and collected. They had been picked up by one of
the searching parties.
You can imagine what a reunion took place that night in the
Armstrong house! Even Peters, the cause of some of the trouble, was
welcome; but that individual was none too comfortable, and was only
too glad when his father's automobile drew up at the door to carry
him to his own home. It was a night of jubilation, and the whole of
Seawall joined to make a celebration of the wonderful feat of the two
swimmers.