n, Rex, down," ordered Ross, "this boat's too cranky for that sort
of thing. Now, where's that crutch?"

In the darkness and the pouring rain it was hard to distinguish
anything, but the white gleam of the sheets showed where the crutch was
floating.

"Out of reach," muttered Ross in disgust. "Just my luck! How am I going
to get it?"

It was a problem. The crutch was floating on the current above twelve
feet beyond the reach of the boat's painter, let out to its utmost
length. By stretching out with one of the oars, Ross was about four feet
short. Just four feet, but so far as success was concerned, it might as
well have been four miles.

If he jumped from the boat and swam for it, there was always a chance
that the current would pluck him down before he could grasp the line,
and then he would not only be in danger himself, but he would have lost
all chance of saving his crippled friend. As long as he stayed either
with the boat or with the house, there was a chance. It would be
foolhardy to lose connection with both.

Then a brilliant idea struck him. Suppose he tied the painter of the
boat under his arms, loosed the boat from the post and jumped into the
water. He ought to reach the floating line before the current had taken
up the slack of the boat's painter. If he left loose a long enough end,
with a loop knot, he could fasten the rope from the boat to the line of
sheets, and the boat would be made fast. The loop knot would unfasten
itself and he could easily clamber into the boat, from the stern, since
it was fastened to the line coming out from Anton's window. Then he
could haul up the boat, hand over hand, as agreed upon, take Anton and
the puppies aboard and strike out straight for the shore.

No sooner was the idea conceived than Ross proceeded to put it into
action. Slipping the line around his arms, once, he tied a loop knot in
front of his chest, where it would be easy to reach, leaving about three
feet of rope hanging, untied the painter and shoved off the boat. The
instant that the boat felt the current it yawed around, but, at the same
moment, Ross jumped out and forward with all his might. The action sent
the boat down-stream all the quicker, but in a second's time, Ross had
grasped the floating crutch and had taken a turn with the loose end of
the rope around it.

He was not an instant too soon, for a sharp tug at his chest, followed
by a sudden release of the weight, told him that the loop knot