away from."

"I should say they were," agreed Bill. "I'd rather take my chance with a
rattlesnake."

Again they lapsed into silence, but their eyes never left that ominous
fin that showed just above the water, cutting it like a knife.

There was a quick exclamation from Lester, and looking at him, they saw
that he was peering at an object perhaps half a mile away. It was large
and vague in the gathering darkness, but Bill's keen eyes, accustomed to
gaze over wide spaces in the West, made it out at once.

"It's a motor boat!" he exclaimed. "And by jinks! it seems to be in
trouble. See how it tosses about. It looks as if it would upset any
minute."

"Those motor boats are always unsafe," remarked Lester, with the scorn
that the master of a sailboat usually feels for any craft driven by
machinery. "They're getting out of order all the time, and a fellow
takes his life in his hands every time he goes out in one. For my part
give me a sailboat."

"Can you see how many people are on board of her?" asked Fred anxiously.

"I see only one," replied Bill, "and he seems to be tinkering with the
engine. Wow! but she shipped a lot of water just then."

"What are we going to do?" asked Teddy. "He may get upset, and if he
doesn't know how to swim, he'll drown. And even if he were a good
swimmer, he couldn't make the shore in a storm like this."

"Here's the answer," said Lester briefly, as he gave the tiller a twist
and gave Fred directions to pull in the sheet. In a moment the boat had
changed its course and was bearing down swiftly toward the disabled
craft.

"I'm mighty anxious to get to shore," Lester remarked, "but we've got to
see what we can do for this fellow first."

The storm was now full upon them, and the _Ariel_ staggered as the
waves beat against her sides. She ploughed along gallantly, however,
under the skilful guidance of Lester, riding most of the waves, although
now and then her nose would dive through a big one and enough water
would come on board to keep Bill and Teddy busy bailing her out. All
were thoroughly drenched, but no one thought of his discomfort, so
intent were they all on reaching the motor boat, which by this time was
absolutely out of control and tossing up and down like a chip in the
surging tumult of waters.

The one occupant had given up as hopeless the attempt to fix the
machinery. He had caught sight of the _Ariel_ and was waving his
hands wildly.

"He oughtn't to be standing up