m, flashes of violet flame danced before
his eyes, his head suddenly seemed to be as though of lead, his legs
stiffened and refused to move, and in the lurid glare of the burning
steamer, rescuer and rescued sank beneath the waves. The last thing that
Eric felt was the tug on the life-line underneath his arms. His cry for
help was answered! The Coast Guard boat was near.

CHAPTER VII

REINDEER TO THE RESCUE

When, the following morning, Eric awoke to consciousness in his bunk on
the _Itasca_ he found himself the hero of the hour. He had been
well-liked in his class before, but his daring feat increased this
tenfold. Like all clean-cut Americans, the cadets held plucky manliness
to be the most worth-while thing in the world. The surgeon, who was
bandaging his burns, told him, in answer to the boy's questions, that
the rescued man would probably recover.

"You're not the only one I've got to take care of, though," the doctor
said to him. "Van Sluyd's in sick bay this morning, too."

"What's the matter with him?" queried Eric.

"Van Sluyd's got grit," was the reply.

"What did he do?"

"I'm just going to tell you. About half an hour after the two of you had
been brought on board, and while I was still examining your burns, Van
Sluyd came up and asked if he could have a word with me.

"'Of course,' I answered, 'what's on your mind?'

"'My father's a doctor,' he said, 'and I've picked up a little medicine.
Is the fellow that Swift rescued badly burned?'

"'Yes,' I answered, 'he is.'

"'Wouldn't he have a better chance if some skin-grafting were done?'

"'Not a bit of doubt of it,' said I.

"'Then,' he said, 'if it won't incapacitate me for the service, you can
go ahead on me.'"

"Who'd have thought it of Van Sluyd!" exclaimed Eric. "Talk about nerve,
that's the real thing! What did you do, Doctor?"

"I went and had a chat with the captain and told him just what was
needed. I told him that it would put Van Sluyd out of active training
for several weeks and might set him back in his examinations."

"What did the captain say?" questioned the boy.

"He just asked me if I thought that the man's recovery was in any way
dependent on it, and when I said I thought it was, he answered that I
could go ahead. You can be sure Van Sluyd won't lose out by it."

"But won't it cripple him?"

"Not a bit," the surgeon answered. "I'll just take a few square inches
of skin off the thigh and he'll be all right in