THE SEARCH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAY
By the strongest effort of the will that he could make, Darrin
steadied himself and forced his eyes once more open.
Drifting toward him, two feet above his head, was what looked like
another shadow. It came closer.
At the first thought Darrin was inclined not to believe his senses.
"I'll have to go up, after all, and let Dan have his chance. I'm
seeing things," Dave decided.
For, though the object floating toward him had some of the semblance
of a skirt-clad figure, yet it looked all out of proportion---perhaps
twice the size of Pauline Butler.
That was a trick of the scanty light coming through the water
at an angle---this coupled with Darrin's own fatigue of the eyes.
Closer it came, and looked a bit smaller.
"It is a girl---a woman---some human being!" throbbed Dave internally.
Now, though his head seeming bursting, Dave hung on more tightly
than ever. The drift of the water was bringing the body slowly
nearer to him. He must hold on until he could let himself strike
upward, seizing that body in his progress.
At last the moment arrived. Dave felt a hard tug at the cable,
but he did not at that instant realize that Dan Dalzell had just
started down from the steamer.
Dave judged that the right instant had come. He let go of the
loop, and was shot upward. But, as he moved, his spread arms
caught hold of the floating figure.
Up to within a few feet of the surface Darrin and his burden moved
easily. Then he found it necessary to kick out hard with his
feet. Thus he carried the burden clear, to the open air above,
though at a distance of some forty feet from the steamer.
"There they are!" Farley's voice was heard calling, and there
was a splash.
"Bully for you, old fellow! Hold her up, and I'm with you!" hailed
Midshipman Farley.
In another moment Dave Darrin had been eased of his human burden,
and Farley was swimming to the steamer with the senseless form
of Pauline Butler.
Darrin tried to swim, and was astounded at finding himself so
weak in the water. He floated, propelling himself feebly with
his hands, completely exhausted.
Just at that moment nearly every eye was fixed on Farley and his
motionless burden, and many pairs of hands stretched out to receive
them.
Yet the gaze of one alert pair of eyes was fixed on Darrin, out
there beyond.
"Now, you'd better look after Dave," broke in the quiet, clear
voice of Belle Meade. "I think he needs help."
Wolgast went over the side in an instant, grappling with Midshipman
Darrin and towing him to the side of the boat.
"All in!" cried Midshipman Gray jubilantly.
"Except Dan. Where's he?" muttered Dave weakly, as he sat on
one of the side seats.
"I'll signal him," muttered Wolgast, and hastened forward to the
anchor cable. This he seized and shook clumsily several times.
The vibrated motion must have been imparted downward, for soon
Dan Dalzell's head came above water.
"Everyone all right?" called Dan, as soon as he had gulped in
a mouthful of air.
"O.K." nodded Wolgast. "Come alongside and let me haul you in."
"You let me alone," muttered Dalzell, coming alongside and grasping
the rail. "Do you think a short cold bath makes me too weak to
attend to myself?"
With that Dan drew himself aboard. Back in the cockpit Mrs. Meade
and some of the girls were in frenzied way doing their best to
revive Pauline Butler, who, at the present moment, showed no signs
of life.
"Let me take charge of this reviving job. I've taken several
tin medals in first aid to the injured," proclaimed Farley modestly.
In truth the midshipman had a decided knack for this sort of work.
He assailed it with vigor, making a heap of life preservers,
and over these placing Miss Butler, head downward. Then Farley
took vigorous charge of the work of "rolling" out the water that
Miss Butler must have taken into her system.
"Get anchor up and start the steamer back to Annapolis at the
best speed possible," ordered Dave, long before he could talk
in a natural voice.
Wolgast and Dan aided Danny in hoisting the anchor. Steam was
crowded on and the little craft cut a swift, straight path for
Annapolis.
"Pauline is opening her eyes!" cried Farley, after twenty minutes
more of vigorous work in trying to restore the girl.
The girl's eyes merely fluttered, though, as a slight sigh escaped
her. The eyelids fell again, and there was but a trace of motion
at the pulse.
"We mustn't lose the poor child, now that we've succeeded in proving
a little life there," cried Mrs. Meade anxiously.
"Now, that's what I call a reflection on the skill of Dr. Farley,"
protested that midshipman in mock indignation. It was necessary,
at any amount of trouble, to keep these women folks on fair spirits
until Annapolis was reached. Then, perhaps, many of them would
faint.
All of the dry jackets of midshipmen aboard had been thrown
protectingly around the girls who had been in the water.
"Torpedo boat ahead, sir," reported the helmsman.
"Give her the distress signal to lie to," directed Dave.
The engine's whistle sent out the shrieking appeal over the waters.
The destroyer was seen to heave about and come slowly to meet
the steamer.
Long before the two craft had come together Dave Darrin was standing,
holding to one of the awning stanchions, for he was not yet any too
strong.
"Destroyer, ahoy!" he shouted as loudly as he could between his
hands. "Have you a surgeon aboard?"
"Yes," came back the answer.
"Let us board you, sir!"
"What's-----"
But Dave had turned to the helmsman with:
"Steam up alongside. Lose no time."
In a very short space of time the destroyer was reached and the
steamer ran alongside. The unconscious form of Miss Butler was
passed up over the side, followed by the other members of the
sailboat party. Mrs. Meade followed, in case she could be of
any assistance.
"You may chaperon your party of young ladies in the steamer, Belle,"
smiled Mrs. Meade from the deck of the destroyer. "I give you
express authority over them."
Farley's and Wolgast's sweethearts laughed merrily at this. All
hands had again reached the point where laughter came again to
their lips without strong effort. Pauline Butler was safe under
the surgeon's hands, if anywhere.
Then the destroyers pulled out again, hitting a fast clip for
Annapolis.
"That's the original express boat; this is only a cattle-carrier,"
muttered Dave, gazing after the fast destroyer.
"Calling us cattle, are you?" demanded Belle. "As official chaperon
I must protest on behalf of the young ladies aboard."
"A cattle boat often carries human passengers," Dave returned.
"I call this a cattle boat only because of our speed."
"We don't need speed now," Belle answered. "Those who do are
on board the destroyer."
By the time that the steamer reached her berth at the Academy
wall, and the young people had hastened ashore, they learned that
Pauline Butler had been removed to a hospital in Annapolis; that
she was very much alive, though still weak, and that in a day
or two she would again be all right.
With a boatswain's mate in charge, another steamer was despatched
down the bay to recover and tow home the capsized sailboat.
Examination week went through to its finish. By Saturday night
the first classmen knew who had passed. But two of the members
of the class had "bilged." Dave, Dan and all their close friends
in the class had passed and had no ordeal left at Annapolis save
to go through the display work of Graduation Week.
"You still have your two years at sea, though, before you're sure
of your commission," sighed Belle, as they rested between dances
that Saturday night.
"Any fellow who can live through four years at Annapolis can get
through the two years at sea and get his commission at last,"
laughed Dave Darrin happily. "Have no fears, Belle, about my
being an ensign, if I have the good fortune to live two years
more."