Are
you afraid to try?"
"Afraid--no. Hold me; yes; that way, but--but what are you going to do?"
"Follow, of course; but I shall take to the water. There are no oars
here. Nothing to use as a substitute for them. I'll have to swim, and
push that old ark as far away as possible. When the yacht goes down, the
suction is liable to swamp us, if we are close in."
"But I can swim, Captain West."
"I am glad to know that; but now you do just as I say. There is no
necessity for both of us getting wet through. Are you ready?"
She poised herself, held steady by the grip of his hands, her eyes on the
dark outline of the floating raft. There was no hesitancy, no
questioning.
"Say when," he said sharply.
"Now."
She sprang outward, and came down, sinking to her knees, and clinging
fast, as the raft bobbed up and down under her sudden weight, dipping
until the water rolled completely over it.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE COMING OF DAWN
West leaned far out, and stared off at the faint blotch made by the raft
against the water surface. He could perceive little except a bare,
shapeless outline.
"Did you make it? Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm safe enough; but wet just the same; the thing bobbed under."
"It will hold us up though, don't you think?"
"Why, of course, it will float; it is supposed to support four people. It
rides dry enough now. But--but, Captain West, I want you to come.
Pages:
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204