empted to let her go; and that
would be a shame after the way you rescued the two of us. Overboard with
you!"

Andy gaped when he saw that the man had actually drawn out a revolver,
and was aiming the same directly at him.

"Here, quit that, will you?" he demanded, feeling a flush of alarm, for
even a seasoned veteran of many battles does not fancy having such a
threatening weapon thrust under his nose.

"Jump, then, d'ye hear, consarn you?" shouted the man, menacingly waving
his pistol; "take a header, and over you go, both of you! I'm a
desperate man, and not to be fooled with. P'raps you c'n keep afloat on
that wreckage long enough for the tug to come up, and pull you in. But
no matter, over you go, one way or the other!"

"Just wait a bit, Casper," said a quiet voice, and turning his head the
man saw that Frank had him covered very neatly, "you must know that your
weapon has been soaked, and wouldn't go off, the chances are. Besides, I
don't believe there's a single cartridge in the chambers. Throw it
overboard, do you hear, Casper, or I may be tempted to cripple that
other arm of yours!"

No doubt Frank was speaking the exact truth when he declared his belief
that the revolver had not been charged since the time when Casper
emptied it at the pursuing airship, in the hope of either frightening
the boy aviators; or else doing some sort of damage.

He stared hard at Frank for half a minute; then with some muttered
words, as if he realized the folly of butting up against fate, threw
the useless weapon far out on the heaving surface of the lake.

After that a dense silence fell upon them. The men were too down-hearted
to want to talk; and there was little that the boys had to communicate,
because they were now in a position where they could do absolutely
nothing to help themselves; and must depend entirely upon the coming of
the tug.

An hour passed, and it seemed very long. All of them were more or less
wet because of the splashing waves; but as the air was balmy, they cared
little for such a thing as that, if only the tug would show up.

Innumerable times did Andy stretch his neck, and look toward the quarter
in which it must appear, if it came at all; but the hour began to extend
far into a second one, and as yet there was nothing seen that brought
with it a ray of hope.

Worse still the sea was gradually getting more and more tempestuous, it
seemed to Andy, though the sky remained absolutely clear, and,