half a mile or so away, on the
roughening waters, the hull of the hydroplane. She was tossing up and
down like a cork, and apparently was drifting helplessly, with her
motor broken down, in the heavy sea. Her occupants seemed to be
bailing her; but as they caught sight of the Flying Fish they stood up
and waved frantically.

"Yes, they're in trouble, all right," agreed Tubby. "And I suppose
we've got to go and get them out of it."

Rob had already put the Flying Fish about and headed her for the
distressed craft. As they drew near, Sam Redding began shouting:

"Help, help! We're sinking, we're sinking!"

Jack Curtiss and Bill Bender, drenched to the skin with spray and white
with fright, said nothing, but a look of great relief came over their
faces as the chums' boat ranged alongside.

"I don't want to risk ramming my boat by coming right alongside,"
shouted Rob. "You'll have to jump for it. Don't be scared. We'll pull
you aboard."

The three youths on the water-logged hydroplane looked somewhat alarmed
at the prospect, but Rob knew that Jack and Bill could swim. He was
not sure of Sam, but assumed, from the fact that he had lived by the
sea all his life, that he was equally at home in the water.

The hesitation of Jack Curtiss and his chum was over in a minute, as
the hydroplane gave a plunge that seemed as if it would be her last.
Lightly dressed as they were, in canvas trousers, sleeveless jerseys
and yachting shoes, it was no trick at all for them to swim the few
feet to the Flying Fish. As they leaped overboard, Sam lingered.

"Come on, Sam," shouted Jack, as the boys lugged the two dripping,
sputtering castaways on board.

"I--I can't swim. You'll have to come alongside for me," stuttered the
badly-scared Sam.

"All right. Hold on, and we'll do what we can," hailed Rob, starting
to carry out the risky maneuver of getting alongside the plunging
hydroplane in the heavy sea.

In some never-to-be-explained manner, however, the frightened Sam
suddenly lost his balance in the tossing racing boat, and, clawing
desperately at her bulwarks to save himself, shot over the side.

"He'll drown!" shouted Jack Curtiss. "He can't swim, and he'll drown."

"If you knew that, why didn't you stand by him?" truculently growled
Tubby.

Without an instant's hesitation, Merritt threw off the jacket he had
put on when it started to blow, and slipped off his shoes. He was
overboard and striking out for the d