. She may be
going faster than I can swim. Stay on the raft!"

As he gave this last command, he slipped out of his heavy, soaked outer
coat, quickly removed his shoes, and, pushing these articles to Hodge,
let himself into the sea, and began to swim toward the dingy
fishing-sloop. Hodge did not again shout, for he saw that Merriwell's
plan was to swim to the sloop, climb aboard of it, and by a sudden
attack overwhelm the men.

"He's crazy!" Hodge grated. "They will see him, and they will simply
knock him back into the sea. They act as if they were lunatics--or
drunk! Why don't they look this way?"

It was indeed singular, but neither of the men seemed to have noticed
the raft or heard the cries that came from it. Merriwell was a splendid
swimmer, and in spite of his chilled condition and his hampering
clothing, he moved through the water almost like a fish.

"Of course I couldn't have kept up with him!" Bart grumbled. "But I
could have done my best. He can't overpower both of those men alone."

He held tightly to the shoes and the coat, and looked longingly after
the swimmer, turning his eyes often to the sloop, that now, under the
influence of a light breeze, was going along in a surprising fashion.

"And how did Inza come to be aboard of that sloop?"

Bart had not time to think of this before, but now the answer came
quickly enough. Inza's clothing had clung to her, as she rushed on the
deck, showing that her skirts were weighted with water. No doubt, she,
too, had been hurled into the sea by the collision of the steamer with
the barge, and this fishing-boat had in some manner picked her up.

"It's very queer, though, the way that fellow acted! She was afraid of
him. But she is below, and he is now on deck. Likely enough he has her
shut up in the cabin."

He beheld Merriwell lift himself slightly out of the water and send out
a ringing call. But the men on deck did not stir. And the sloop sailed
on.

"The scoundrels!" Bart hissed, through his white teeth. "I should like
to knock their heads together. They refuse to hear him. They are
carrying Inza away, and they do not intend that any one shall come
aboard. And this within the very shadows of New York City!"

The sloop heeled over under the breeze and increased her speed.
Merriwell was palpably losing ground. Bart heard him call again and
again, with the same result, and then Bart also lifted his voice.

The result was the same. The sloop moved straight