ne side of it with a drowning man's grip,
but was in danger of momentarily losing it. The boys with Colonel Snow at
their head had rushed along the upper rail, where Rand began at once to
strip off his coat and the soft canoe shoes he was wearing on shipboard,
while Gerald followed suit. All the boys, as became trained Scouts, were
good swimmers, but Rand pushed Gerald back, impetuously, saying:

"I'm the heavier, Gerald, let me go on this. It may be a fight," and at
the same time mounted the rail. As he did so, Colonel Snow seized a long
thin line that hung for just such emergencies, on a spike at the rail,
threw the knotted loop over Rand's arm and shoulder, saying:

"These are cold waters, and you may need this. If it hampers you, cast it
off, and take to the gangplank."

Rand leaped from the rail, with his utmost strength, striving to escape
the suction of the now backward-revolving screw, and struck out toward the
man whose head was sinking under the surface, although his hands still
grasped the gangplank with a feeble hold. With a dozen stalwart strokes,
Rand reached the almost unconscious man, threw the loop from his own
shoulder over his head and drew it under his arms and placed both his
hands firmly upon the plank. Then grasping the bolt staple of the timber,
himself, he yelled:

"Pull in; don't back any further," and in a few minutes willing and
stalwart hands dragged them toward the steamer.

[Illustration: RAND LEAPED FROM THE RAIL.]

Already, a lifeboat had been dropped into the water and into this the
half-drowned man was lifted, while Rand, himself already numbed by the icy
water had to be assisted aboard. He was lifted to the deck amid the cheers
of his chums, who rushed him to his stateroom for dry clothing.

"That was a great piece of work," said Captain Huxley, commander of the
"Queen." "No professional life saver could have got on the job in quicker
time. Those are fine boys of yours, Colonel Snow."

"That's part of their training as Scouts," replied the Colonel, "and it's
meant to be practical. That's why I did not interfere with Peyton's
attempt at a rescue. But what started this?"

"That's what I'm going to find out, good and quick," replied Captain
Huxley. "As usual at this time of year, I've got a tough crowd in the
steerage, and I imagine the whole thing started in a poker game that has
been running on the engine room deck ever since we left Seattle. Will you
go along?"

Accompanied