ing to get the best of me! But
you shan't do it!"

"Le--let go!" gasped Randy. He could hardly speak.

"I'll let go--when I am through with you. But first I----"

What further Peter Polk had to say was drowned out by a violent crash
of thunder. Then came a perfect deluge of rain, driven over the decks
by a wind that blew almost with hurricane force.

Randy struggled harder than ever, but the purser continued to hold him.
Then the steamboat, caught by the blast, careened to one side, and in a
twinkling the youth was over the rail. Peter Polk released his hold,
and down went poor Randy, until, with a splash, he sank beneath the
waters of the Hudson River.

CHAPTER XXX

A SWIM FOR LIFE

The shock came so suddenly that for the moment poor Randy scarcely
realized what was happening. He went down and down and swallowed not a
little of the river water.

When he came up, blowing and spluttering, he could see but little
around him. Fortunately, he had gone off to the rear of the steamboat,
thus escaping the danger of being struck by a paddle-wheel. All was so
dark and the rain was so thick he could not make out the shore line.

"I've got to swim for it," he reasoned and struck out bravely.

It was no easy matter to keep afloat with so much clothing on. He
listened, thinking he might hear the steamboat, but the roaring of the
wind and rain drowned out every other sound.

Presently came another flash of lightning and then he saw the boat far
ahead of him. No one but Peter Polk had witnessed his fall from the
deck and nobody appeared to be coming to his assistance.

He kept his head well above water and at the next flash of lightning
caught a glimpse of one of the river banks. Without further hesitation
he struck out in that direction.

It was a long and exhausting swim and poor Randy thought he would never
reach the shore. The current carried him far down the river, to where
there was a small cove, lined with rocks on one side and bushes and
trees on the other. He caught at some of the bushes desperately and at
last pulled himself to a place of temporary safety.

For the time being our hero did nothing but try to get back his breath
and his strength. In a general way he had an idea that he was some
distance below the town of Catskill. What to do next he hardly knew.

"The first thing to do is to get out of this storm, I suppose," he told
himself. "But that won't do a great deal of good, since I can't get