board. There was no further need of his remaining,
as his brave deed had accomplished what he intended it should.

But now a new danger was presented. The blazing gasolene, forced from
the bottom of the boat by the rising water that came through the jagged
hole, was floating on the surface of the lake. All about the sinking
craft was a pool of flame, ten feet in diameter.

A cry of horror arose from those in the surrounding boats that had
quickly congregated near the scene. The gathering dusk was lighted up by
the licking tongues of flame, which hissed hungrily, as though angry at
being cheated of their prey.

"Wait!" called a man in a large motor boat. "I'll see if I can't get
near enough to save you."

He started to steer his craft toward Dick, but the latter cried out:

"No! Keep away. The gasolene is spreading! I'll jump!"

He was standing on the gunwale of the boat now, that part alone being
above water. The motor had stopped, and the boat was floating amid a
small sea of flame. In just the little patch where Dick stood there was,
for the present, at least, no fire.

Dick crouched for a spring. He saw a place where the surrounding ring of
flame was the thinnest, and he aimed for that. He was going to try to
jump across the belt of fire.

Suddenly he straightened up. Then, with a spring, which lost much of
its power because of the uncertain footing the tilting gunwale gave him,
he launched himself upward and outward.

Arching his hands over his head to cleave the water, and hoping in his
heart that he would clear the ring of flames, Dick felt himself moving
through the air. Then, with a sudden change in the little breeze that
was blowing, the flames shifted so that they were wider in extent at the
place for which he aimed. Those in the outer fringe of motor boats
caught their breaths as they saw what had happened. Dick was headed for
the center of a leaping mass of fire.

An instant later he had struck the water, covered with the blazing
gasolene, and had disappeared beneath the surface.

"Now to save him, if we can!" cried Captain Bailey, of the large motor
boat _Cypress_, as he urged his craft forward. Those in it, as they
approached the outer ring of fire, looked at the luridly illuminated
waters, anxious to catch the first glimpse of Dick. A dark body came to
the surface. Two hands shot out, and Dick made an attempt to swim. But
he ceased almost as soon as he made the first strokes, and sank back,
h