The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes | Page 4

in all of its fury--a storm which
lasted all night, and one which the Rover boys never forgot.
CHAPTER II.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DICK.
"Oh, my, but this is a corker!"
It was Tom who uttered the words, half an hour after he had cautioned
everybody to hold fast. He was standing at the wheel, helping Dick to
make the Swallow keep her bow up to the waves, which rolled fiercely
on every side of the craft. He cried out at the top of his lungs, yet his
elder brother understood him with difficulty.
"I wish we were out of it," returned Dick. "Did Sam go below, as I
ordered?"

"Yes."
"What of Aleck?"
"He is in the galley, trying to keep his dishes from being smashed to
bits. He is scared, I can tell you, and said he was sure we were going to
the bottom."
"If I was sure of the course I would steer for shore, Tom. I'm afraid
myself that this is going to be more than we bargained for."
"Pooh, Dick! We've been in as bad a storm before, and you know it."
"But not on Lake Erie. This lake has a reputation for turning out some
nasty ones, that do tremendous damage. Light up, will you?--or we may
be smashing into some other boat before we know it."
"I will, if you can hold the wheel alone."
"I can get along for a few minutes. But it's enough to pull a fellow's
arms out by the sockets," concluded Dick.
With extreme caution, for the deck was as wet and slippery as it was
unsteady, Tom made his way to the tiny cabin of the yacht. Here he
found Sam lighting the ship's lanterns, four in number.
"I thought you'd be wanting them," said the youngest Rover. "Is it
letting up, do you think?"
"No; if anything, it is growing worse."
"Don't you want me to help on deck? I hate to stay down here alone."
"You can do nothing, Sam. Dick and I are tending the wheel, and there
is nothing else to be done."
"I might go on the lookout. You can't watch very well from the stern,"
added the youngest Rover, who did not relish being kept back by his
older brothers.

"We can watch good enough. Stay here--it's safer. If the yacht should
swing around--Great Scott!"
Tom Rover broke off short, and with good reason. A strange creaking
and cracking sound had reached his ears, followed by a bump and a jar
which nearly pitched him headlong. Sam was thrown down on his
back.
"Something is wrong!" burst out Sam, as soon as he could speak. "We
must have struck something."
Tom did not answer, for the reason that he was already on his way to
the deck, with a lantern slung in the crook of his right elbow. Sam
followed with another lantern, leaving the remaining ones wildly
swinging on the hooks in the cabin's ceiling.
"Help! help!"
The cry came from out of the darkness, somewhere in the wake of the
_Swallow_; a cry cut partly short by the piping gale. With his heart
thumping violently, Tom leaped over the deck toward the wheel.
"Dick! What is the matter?"
"Help!" repeated the voice, but now further off than ever. Then Tom
made a discovery which thrilled him with horror.
The position at the wheel was vacant! Dick was gone!
"Dick! Dick! Where are you!" he shouted hoarsely. "Dick!"
"Help!" came more faintly. The cry was repeated several times, but
nothing more reached Tom's ears nor the hearing of his younger brother,
who was now beside him, his round face as pale as death itself.
"Dick's overboard!" The words came from both, and each looked at the
other in consternation.
Both held up their lanterns, the glasses of which were speedily covered

with flying spray. The lanterns made a small semicircle of light at the
stern, but Dick was beyond that circle and could not be seen.
"Take the wheel--I'll get a life-preserver!" said Tom, and ran for the
article he had mentioned.
"Shall I try to turn the yacht around?" questioned his brother, as he,
after several unsuccessful attempts, caught the spokes of the wheel,
which was flying back and forth with every pitch of the craft.
"No! no! We will be swamped if you do that. Keep her up to the wind."
Regardless of the danger, Tom flew across the deck to where there was
a life-preserver, attached to a hundred feet of small, but strong, rope.
Once at the stern again, he threw the life-preserver as far out as
possible.
"Catch the lifeline!" he shrieked. But if Dick heard he gave no answer.
"Can't we fire a rocket?" said Sam. "We ought to do something," he
added, half desperately.
Lashing