right, if you want to," half grumbled Dan. "But I'm just
beginning to get used to it and to like it."

Dan, however, followed orders and took his seat by tiller and sheet as
soon as they had towed Canty safely in the boat. Tom Foss, lied and
holding on at the stern, was beginning to chatter hard, but said he was
all right.

A brief instant of consultation the two midshipmen held. Then Dave
Darrin, holding his hands before him, dived hard and deep into the water.

After nearly a minute he came up again, but only to take an observation.
Then he sank, to explore more of the space under water.

For five minutes Darrin continued this, making four dives in all, and
sinking twice without diving.

"I can't give this up, and abandon a girl," he muttered. "Dan, I've got
to take more account of the current, and work gradually downstream."

A little later Dave rose with a whoop the instant that his head showed
above the water.

"I've got her," Dave announced, though his voice was hoarse and panting.

"Hurrah!" came from Dan, as he saw the girl's head show above the
surface. Dalzell, hauling on the sheet, ran the boat in close. Dave
grasped at the rail on the weather quarter, while Dan bent over him,
hauling hard. And so Ella Wright was dragged unconscious into the boat.

"I'd stay here in the water with you, Tom," explained Dave, "but I've got
to be in the boat to do my share of handling her."

"Th-th-that's all r-r-r-r-right," chattered poor Foss, "I'm d-d-d-doing
f-f-f-fine here--c-c-c-couldn't h-help in the b-b-b-boat"

While lying to, it had taken some fine management on the part of the
midshipmen to keep the sailboat from capsizing. And now, on this rough,
wave-strewn river, they had to tack back against a nearly head wind.

"Look at the crowd on the clubhouse float," gasped Dan as soon as the
Naval chums had gotten their craft under way.

"Good thing," muttered Darrin. "We'll need plenty of help."

"I wonder how the crowd got wind of the thing in such short time?"

"You forget," nudged Darrin, "that there's a telephone in the clubhouse.
Laura and Belle are not given to losing their heads. Undoubtedly they've
been 'phoning to Gridley."

"Then they can't have overlooked the need of physicians," ventured Dan,
"especially as Laura is the daughter of one."

As the boat drew nearer to the float the noise of cheers was borne to the
ears of the midshipmen.

"More of the hero racket," uttered Dan disgustedly.

"