Dave Darrins Third Year at Annapolis | Page 6

answered
slowly.
"Why, haven't you had much sailboat practice at Annapolis yet?"
"We've had some," Darrin nodded. "But I'm afraid I don't believe much
in small sailboats for girls' parties."
"Oh, very well."
"Now, Belle, you will begin to believe that I'm a muff at heart," Darrin
remonstrated.
"I won't anyway, Dave," Laura broke in. "I can see that you're merely
determined that we shall take no risks when we go out with you. I shall
feel very safe in whatever you propose for water sports."
"It's a good deal better to be safe, than sorry, when you have girls under
your care," Dan Dalzell added.
The motor boat, a fast though a low-hulled craft, had been long out of
sight up the river. Presently there came a new turn to the wind. Dan wet
a forefinger and held it up to the breeze.
"I hope Foss has sense enough to run in somewhere and tie up until the
coming squall blows over," Dalzell remarked.

"Are we going to have a storm?" Belle asked quickly.
"Not rain, if that's what you mean," Darrin replied. "But I believe the
river is going to be pretty rough before long."
Ere two minutes more had passed Dave suddenly rose and straightened
himself.
"Look downstream, girls," he cried. "Do you see the big rollers
coming?"
In truth the surface of the river was now beginning to behave in an
unusual way. Where, heretofore, the water had been choppy and
whitecapped, the water now broke in longer, foam-crested waves.
Owing to the course of the wind the waves were rolling upstream.
Within five minutes from the time when Dave first called attention to
the rougher water the waves had considerably increased in size.
"Oh, I'm glad I'm not out on the water," shivered Laura.
"So am I," Belle admitted candidly.
"Do you believe Tom Foss can bring his boat down against such
waves!" Laura inquired.
"Oh, no doubt, he has had sense enough to run in somewhere and tie
up," predicted Midshipman Dan charitably.
"I hope so," murmured Belle. "But Tom is an awfully stubborn fellow."
Toot! too-oo-oot! sounded a whistle up the river.
"By ginger, there comes Foss's boat now!" muttered Dan, standing up
and staring. "Why doesn't the idiot make land?"
"He's got his craft away on the other side of the river, looking for
quieter water," muttered Dave uneasily.
"Well, isn't that right?" asked Belle.

"Right, yes, unless he makes the mistake of trying to cross the stream,"
nodded Darrin. "Then he'll run his craft into the trough of the sea,
and--"
"Well, what?" demanded Belle as Dave paused.
"Then, when he's in the trough, a big wave may roll his small boat
over," Dan finished for his comrade.
"Do you really think there's danger of that?" demanded Laura, looking
anxious.
"I don't know," murmured Dave. "But I wish I had some way of
signaling Foss, some way so that he could understand the signals."
"What good would it do?" demanded Midshipman Dalzell, grimly.
"Tom would only laugh and say it was more old maidishness on the
part of Navy men."
"There--confound the idiot!" suddenly blazed Dave Darrin. "He is
crossing. Look at that boat wallow in the trough. Jupiter! There she
goes over--nearly!"
All four young people on the float held their breath for an instant. The
motor launch, after almost having turned turtle, righted itself.
"I wish I were at the wheel of the boat for about three minutes,"
muttered Darrin hoarsely.
At that moment Laura and Belle both screamed, while Dan Dalzell
shouted:
"There she goes--for sure, this time!"
A bigger wave than usual had half filled the launch and caused it to
careen. Before the little craft could right itself a second and a third
wave, rolling along, had completed the work. The launch had sunk!

CHAPTER II
PROVING THEIR TRAINING
In the same instant, without a word to each other, Dave Darrin and
Dalzell had done the same thing. That is, they started to run and at the
same time doffed coats and vests, leaving these garments to flutter
behind them.
As they reached the sailboat both midshipmen cast off their shoes.
Dave leaped into the boat while Dalzell threw off the bowline, then
boarded.
Like a flash both youngsters went at the lashings of the mainsail.
"There isn't a reef in," Dan discovered. "Going to take time for a close
reef, Dave?"
"There isn't time," Darrin muttered, with drops of cold perspiration on
his forehead as he toiled. "We'll have to go out under a full sail, Dan."
"Great Scott!" muttered Dalzell.
"We may be too late to save any one as it is. There! Jump to the halyard.
I've got the sheet."
Dan Dalzell began to hoist with a will. In an incredibly short time he
had the