is boots!

"O God have mercy! Mother Mary--Mother Mary save him!" prayed Brother
Bart.

At the words Dan steadied,--steadied to the beacon light,--steadied into
Aunt Winnie's boy again.

"Don't scare, Brother Bart!" rang out his clear young voice. "I'll get
him."

"Dan! Dan!" shrieked Freddy, as, with the practised dive of the Wharf
Rats, the lithe young form plunged into the water. "O Dan,--my Dan, the
sharks will get you, too! Come back! Come back, Dan!"

Dan caught the words as he struck out blindly, desperately, almost
hopelessly, through depths such as he had never braved before. For this
was not the safe land-bound harbor; this was not the calm lap of the river
around the sheltering wharf; this was a world of waters, seething, surging
roaring around him, peopled with hunting creatures hungry for prey.

"Dan, Dan!" came his little chum's piercing cry as he rose for breath.

"Come back, ye fool!" thundered Captain Jeb. "He's gone, I tell ye,--the
boy is gone down!"

But even at the shout something dark swept within touch of Dan's
outstretched arm; he made a clutch at it and grasped Dud,--Dud choking,
gasping, struggling,--Dud, who sinking for the last time, caught Dan in a
grip that meant death for both of them.

"Let go!" spluttered Dan, fiercely,--"let go! Let go or we'll drown
together!" And then, as the deadly clutch only tightened, Dan did what all
Wharf Rats knew they must do in such cases--struck out with the full
strength of his hardy young fist, and, knocking the clinging Dud's
fast-failing wits completely out of him, swam back with his helpless
burden to the "Sary Ann."

"The Lord, matey, but you are a game un!" said Captain Jeb, as he and Jim
dragged Dud aboard.

"Ah, God have mercy upon the poor lad's soul! It's dead entirely he is!"
sobbed Brother Bart.

"Not a bit of it!" said Dan, scrambling up the side of the "Sary Ann."
"He's just knocked out. I had to knock him out, or he would have pulled me
down with him. Roll him over a little, so he can spit out the water, and
he'll be all right."

"Sure he is,--he is!" murmured Brother Bart, as Dud began to cough and
splutter encouragingly. "It's gone forever I thought he was, poor lad! Oh,
God bless you for this day's work, Dan Dolan,--bless you and keep you His
forever!"

"It was a close shave for all hands," said Captain Jeb, permitting himself
a long-drawn sigh of relief, as Dan, after shaking himself like a
water-dog, sank down, a littl