ste.

It happened by mere accident that they were on that side of the sinking
wreck where the larger man clung; and this was just as it should have
been, since he seemed more in need of help, at least in far greater
distress of mind, than the smaller man.

"Get ready, Andy!" warned the pilot; "I'll shut off the power if it
seems best; but it may keep us on a more even keel if we move along."

"I'm going to try and get hold, and then pull him aboard; hope we don't
have a spill, though!" the other sent back, as he braced himself as best
the conditions allowed.

Frank gave one little turn to the rudder, for he was afraid that they
might get past without coming in reach. Then the gap was completed, and
Andy, leaning over, managed to get hold of the sinking man by the collar
of his coat.

There was where the greatest danger lay.

When a man or a boy has the terror of drowning pressed in upon his
heart, he is usually a most unreasonable being; and will even clasp his
intended rescuer about the neck, and prevent him from carrying out his
plans that might have worked well only for this blundering.

"Take it easy, you!" yelled Andy, as he saw the man clutch hold of the
framework of the hydroplane, and struggle desperately to work his way
along to where the others were. "If you give us half a chance we'll save
you, all right; but upset us and well all like as not go down together.
Slower, I tell you, or I'll give you this to teach you something. This
ain't an ocean liner, d'ye understand. Let up!"

Whether it was the excited words of the boy, the manner in which he
flourished that short steel bar, or his ferocious looks, that brought
the excited man to his senses no one could ever say; but he did relax
some of his frantic movements and began to act more within reason.

This presently gave Andy the opportunity he wanted to stretch out a
helping hand, and get a firm grip of the other's coat collar; after
which he exerted himself to the utmost to assist him to climb aboard.

What with his own weight, and the fact that his clothes were dripping
with water, the addition of the new passenger caused the delicately
constructed and already heavily freighted hydroplane to sink more
deeply.

Frank, in that supreme moment realized that it would be almost a
hopeless task to think of once more flying, with such a cargo aboard.
Possibly the best they could do would be to keep afloat, and hope that
the pursuing tug might come up wit