Again his
father's warning not to be foolhardy, came to Ross's remembrance, and,
together with it, the Weather Bureau man's caution. None the less, the
boy knew well that his father would never bid him hold back from a piece
of work that was dangerous or difficult when life was at stake.

The boat was half full of water from the pouring rain. Ross bailed it
out with a cocoanut-shell to which a handle had been affixed, evidently
a home-made bailer of Anton's manufacture, and, as soon as it was clear
of water, dragged it to the border of the current and launched it. The
craft floated crankily, it was true, but it floated, and, so far as the
boy could tell, it seemed fairly water-tight.

Jumping out again, Ross swung himself into the water and shoved the boat
along beside him. He saw the value of wading as far as possible, for he
knew that, as long as his feet were on the bottom, he could govern his
direction. To what extent he might be able to stem the current by the
use of oars in a boat of that character, he did not know.

Rex, however, was convinced that the boat had been secured expressly for
him, and, as soon as Ross came near enough to the shore, the dog bounded
through the shallow water in long leaps, swimming the last few feet, and
put his paws on the gunwale. Ross picked up the terrier and heaved him
into the boat. Rex gave a snort of satisfaction, shook himself so that
he sent a trundling spray of water clear in his master's face and then
took his post in the bow of the boat and set himself to barking with all
his might and main. It seemed almost as though he really knew that he
was at the head of a rescue expedition and wanted to convey the
information. When at last Rex ceased barking, which was not for some
minutes, Ross gave a shout.

Instantly, at one of the upper windows, something white appeared. In the
darkness the boy could not tell what it might be, but he guessed, and
rightly, that it was Anton's shirt, and he heard again, though faintly,
the answering call across the river.

"Keep up your nerve, Anton," he yelled, through the storm, "I'll be over
there in a minute."

Faintly, again, came the answering cry,

"Hello, Ross! Is that you? I wondered who it was that was coming."

The slow progress made by shoving the boat along, however, was not at
all to Rex's liking. He turned and looked at his master doubtfully, then
barked again. To his disgust, in turn, the boy found that the slope of
the hol