this mainsail!
Haul her flat! There, steady!" ordered Captain Crotty, and as, close
hauled on the wind, the sloop began slowly to work her way back toward
the drifting boat, young Jabe for the first time realized that, save for
his father and himself, there was not a soul aboard the vessel.

"What's happened?" he almost gasped.

"Don't ask me," replied the other, "for I don't know. All I do know is
that them boys is stark raving lunatics every last one of 'em, and if I
get 'em back here again I'll head 'em for their homes quick as ever the
good Lord'll let me. I never knowed what a fool I could be till I
undertook the managing of a passel of crazy boys off on a lark. Now I
don't expect nothing else but that the half of 'em'll be drowned, and
I'll be held responsible. Sarve me right too!"

By this time all the swimmers had collected about the boat containing
Abe Cruger, and, holding on to its gunwales, were pushing it slowly in
the direction of the sloop. Its sole occupant stood on a thwart, gazing
anxiously over the rippling waters.

"Don't you see anything? Not a sign?" inquired one and another,
anxiously.

"No, fellows; I can't make out so much as a bubble," was the hopeless
reply.

"Oh, it's awful!" groaned Will Rogers. "Poor little Cal! And his mother!
How can we tell her?"

As the boat drifted near the now anchored sloop Abe Cruger mechanically
caught the line flung to him by young Jabe, and she was drawn alongside.
One by one the swimmers were hauled up from the water by Captain
Crotty's strong hands, and when at length they all stood on deck he
inquired in a trembling voice, "How many's missing? Where's the little
one?"

"I don't know," answered Will Rogers, with something very like a sob
choking his speech. "He is the only one missing; but I'm awfully afraid
we'll never see him alive again."

"Waal," said Captain Crotty, hoarsely, "I might have knowed something of
the kind would happen, and I'm only thankful there's as many of you left
as there is. Of course this ends the cruise, and I shall head back for
Berks just as quick as I get a fair wind up the river. Till then we'll
lie here and do what we can towards recovering the body. Now, you lads,
go below, get out of your wet clothes, give 'em to Jabe to dry, tumble
into your bunks and stay there. _Stay there_, d'ye hear, till I give you
permission to leave 'em. Yes, you too," he added to Abe Cruger, who was
beginning to explain that he had not been i