Frank and Andy Afloat | Page 7

uttered a cry, and pointed to a spot at the left of the rocks, in a space of water comparatively calm.
"There! Look! Look!" he shouted.
"What is it? The whale?" demanded Andy.
"No, a boat--a motor boat! It's disabled--drifting! It must have been on the rocks. It's a large one, too. Look out you don't hit it."
"It's on fire!" cried Andy. "See the smoke--the flame! It's burning up!"
The Gull was now far enough from the Shark's Teeth to warrant her safety, and the boys could look at the motor craft, that was bobbing helplessly about in the spume and spray, being tossed hither and thither by the heaving waves.
"See anybody on her?" yelled Andy.
"No--not a soul," answered Frank, who had made his way forward, and was standing up, clinging to the mast.
Suddenly, amid the howling of the storm, there came a sharp explosion. There was a puff of flame, and a cloud of smoke hovered over the hapless motor boat, which, strange to say, still remained intact and afloat.
"She's blown up! Exploded!" yelled Andy.
"Yes, and there's a boy in the water! Look!" fairly screamed Frank. "He was on the boat! The explosion must have blown him out! He's floating! We must save him, Andy!"
"Sure! Jupiter's lobsters! but things are happening to us to-day! Look out! I'm going to put about!"
Frank scrambled back to join his brother. The big boom with its shortened sail swung over, and, heeling under the force of the shrieking wind, the Gull darted toward the dangerous rocks once more. Toward the wrecked motorboat, toward the figure of the boy floating in the smother of foaming and storm-torn waves she swept.
Could they reach the helpless lad in time? It was the question uppermost in the hearts of Frank and Andy Racer.
CHAPTER III
THE BOY'S RESCUE
"Can we make it, Frank?" questioned Andy desperately.
"We've got to," came the quick answer. "Ease her off a little until I get the lay of things."
"Is he swimming?" demanded the younger lad.
"Yes, but only with one hand. He must be injured. He can just manage to keep afloat. Put in a little closer. We've passed the worst of the Teeth. It's deep water here, isn't it?"
"Yes, as near as I can tell. I haven't been here very often. It's too dangerous, even in calm weather, to say nothing of a storm."
The wind was now a gale, but the boys had their sailboat well in hand and were managing her skillfully. They came nearer to the feebly swimming lad.
"There he goes--he's sunk--he's under!" yelled Andy, peering beneath the boom.
"Too bad!" muttered Frank. "We're too late!"
Eagerly he looked into the tumult of waters Then he uttered a joyful cry.
"There he is again! He's a plucky one. We must get him, Andy!"
"But how? I daren't steer in any closer or I'll have a hole in us and we'll go down."
"We've got to save the poor fellow. I wonder who he is?"
"It's tough," murmured Andy. "See, the fire on the motor boat seems to be out."
"Yes, probably the explosion blew it out. The boat floats well. Maybe we can save that."
"Got to get this poor boy first. Oh, if he could only swim out a little farther we could throw him a line. Hey there!" he called to the lad, "we're coming! Can you make your way over here? We daren't come in any closer."
There was no answer, but the desperately struggling lad waved his one good arm to show that he had heard. Then he resumed his battle with the sea--an unequal battle.
"Plucky boy!" murmured Frank. "I'm going to save him. He can never swim out this far."
Andy had thrown the boat up in the wind, had lowered the sail so that she was now riding the waves comparatively motionless, for there came a lull in the gale.
Then, even as Frank spoke, the unfortunate lad again disappeared from sight.
"He's gone--for good this time I guess," spoke Andy, and there was a solemn note in his faltering voice.
"No! There he is again!" fairly yelled Frank. "I'm going overboard for him."
"You can't swim in this sea!" objected his brother. "There'll be two drowned instead of one."
"I can do it!" firmly declared the older lad. He began to take off his shoes, and divest himself of his heavier garments.
"You're crazy!" cried Andy. "You can't do it!"
"Just you watch," spoke Frank calmly. "I can't stand by and see a lad drown like that. Have we a spare line aboard?"
"Yes, plenty. It's up forward in the port locker under the deck."
"Good. Now I'm going to tie a line around my waist, and go overboard. I'll swim to that chap and get a good hold on him. Then it will be up to you to pull us both in, if I can't swim with him, and I'm afraid I can't do much in this sea.