Dave Darrins Third Year at Annapolis | Page 9

him in, Davy," announced Midshipman Dalzell.
"Canty isn't strong enough to tow behind. And I'm coming aboard for a
fresh look before I dive for Miss Wright."
"You're going to stay aboard and manage the boat," retorted Darrin
quietly. "I'm going in next."
"Oh, all right, if you want to," half grumbled Dan. "But I'm just
beginning to get used to it and to like it."
Dan, however, followed orders and took his seat by tiller and sheet as
soon as they had towed Canty safely in the boat. Tom Foss, lied and
holding on at the stern, was beginning to chatter hard, but said he was
all right.

A brief instant of consultation the two midshipmen held. Then Dave
Darrin, holding his hands before him, dived hard and deep into the
water.
After nearly a minute he came up again, but only to take an observation.
Then he sank, to explore more of the space under water.
For five minutes Darrin continued this, making four dives in all, and
sinking twice without diving.
"I can't give this up, and abandon a girl," he muttered. "Dan, I've got to
take more account of the current, and work gradually downstream."
A little later Dave rose with a whoop the instant that his head showed
above the water.
"I've got her," Dave announced, though his voice was hoarse and
panting.
"Hurrah!" came from Dan, as he saw the girl's head show above the
surface. Dalzell, hauling on the sheet, ran the boat in close. Dave
grasped at the rail on the weather quarter, while Dan bent over him,
hauling hard. And so Ella Wright was dragged unconscious into the
boat.
"I'd stay here in the water with you, Tom," explained Dave, "but I've
got to be in the boat to do my share of handling her."
"Th-th-that's all r-r-r-r-right," chattered poor Foss, "I'm d-d-d-doing
f-f-f-fine here--c-c-c-couldn't h-help in the b-b-b-boat"
While lying to, it had taken some fine management on the part of the
midshipmen to keep the sailboat from capsizing. And now, on this
rough, wave-strewn river, they had to tack back against a nearly head
wind.
"Look at the crowd on the clubhouse float," gasped Dan as soon as the
Naval chums had gotten their craft under way.

"Good thing," muttered Darrin. "We'll need plenty of help."
"I wonder how the crowd got wind of the thing in such short time?"
"You forget," nudged Darrin, "that there's a telephone in the clubhouse.
Laura and Belle are not given to losing their heads. Undoubtedly
they've been 'phoning to Gridley."
"Then they can't have overlooked the need of physicians," ventured
Dan, "especially as Laura is the daughter of one."
As the boat drew nearer to the float the noise of cheers was borne to the
ears of the midshipmen.
"More of the hero racket," uttered Dan disgustedly.
"I hope this won't get into the newspapers," grunted Darrin in a tone of
something like real alarm. "Say, the fellows of the brigade wouldn't do
a thing but make us mount chairs and read all the fulsome gush about
this rescue."
"And then, after we'd finished a straight reading," groaned Dan, "we'd
have to sing it next, to the tune of 'Columbia, the Pride of the Ocean.'"
"'Gem of the Ocean,' Dan," Darrin corrected.
Though in the middle of the river the sailboat had many a close shave
from capsizing in the strong puffs of wind, especially with the load that
the little craft carried, yet Dan Dalzell, at the tiller, brought the boat at
last in under the lee side of the float, and there a score of pairs of
willing hands reached out with offers of help.
Dr. Bentley was in the crowd, as were two other Gridley physicians.
There were also two trained nurses, and one of the druggists had
brought along a big emergency box of drugs and supplies. Between
them the telephone and the automobile can accomplish a lot in these
modern times.
Laura and Belle, though they had summoned the aid, now kept tactfully

in the background.
The two apparently drowned girls were lifted from the boat in haste and
borne to a room that had been made ready on the second floor of the
clubhouse. Ab Canty was carried to another room, and Tom Foss, who
nearly shook to pieces when lifted from the water, was helped after his
friend.
"You two young midshipmen will have to come inside and get some of
our attention," called Dr. Bentley in an authoritative voice.
"I think not, thank you, doctor," replied Dave Darrin. "The most that
we want is some place where we can strip and rub down, while waiting
for dry clothing."
"I know just the room, and I'll take you there," urged Len Spencer,
reporter for the "Morning Blade." Len