as Tom Slade. Maybe
I took a chance when I went into all that smoke, I'm not saying I
didn't, but if I got anything at all, it would be the Bronze Medal, I
guess, but nix on the Gold Cross. You don't find gold crosses growing
around on every bush, you can bet. Anyway, I didn't want any honor medal
because I knew Wig wouldn't get one (because they're only for
lifesaving) and gee, if he didn't deserve one, I'm sure I didn't.

Anyway this wasn't any time to be thinking about medals, because Artie
Van Arlan was missing and that was the principal thing we had to think
about. He wasn't on the house--boat, that was one sure thing, because
we looked everywhere and couldn't find him. Wig said he remembered
somebody speaking to him when he was lying there, and he guessed it
must have been Artie. He didn't know what he said though.

The fellows were all excited about it, especially because the boat was
just beginning to float, and we didn't know whether we'd better anchor
there and wait to see if he turned up. Two of the fellows climbed down
and swam around and the rest kept caning. It wasn't very deep yet and
they could even feel around the flats, but they couldn't find him
anywhere.

I went around and looked at the window and even then the cabin was
filled with smoke, but not so thick. Believe me, I wished that Tom
Slade was there then, because he's great on deducing and finding
clues and all like that. That's why we always called him Sherlock
Nobody Holmes. Anyway, I couldn't make out what happened. Artie might
have staggered up against the window to get air, but I didn't see how
he could fall out, and if he was able to climb out then why didn't he
come up where the rest of us were?

I couldn't make anything out of it; all I knew was he was gone. I knew
he must have been drowned and his body been carried up by the tide,
which was running up strong now.

Well, you can bet we didn't have any fun drifting up. Nobody said
anything much; we just sat around the edge of the deck with our staffs
and pushed her off, whenever she ran against the shore.

Charlie Seabury sat next to me and after a while he said, "Who's going
to tell his people?"

"I am," I told him, "because I'm to blame for the whole business."

"Nobody's to blame," he said.

"Yes, I am," I said, "they just did it on account of me."

"That's because all the fellows like you," he said, "and they like to
do anything for you."

Anyway, it wasn't so necessary, I