inst the wind.

The three Scouts, swimming strong and fast, saw as soon as they were
within plain sight of the launch that she was doomed. The fire had
spread with a rapidity that would have been astonishing had it been
anything but gasolene that supplied fuel for the flames over the after
portion of the boat, where the tank had been. Up in the bow, huddled
together, and shrieking for help, were two men and two women. They
seemed to be terrified, and none of them had thought to seek safety by
dropping overboard. They seemed, indeed, to prefer to stay and wait
for the fire to reach them, which it threatened to do at any moment.

It was no time to waste breath on words, but Jack, who had taken
command of the situation, as he always seemed to do, held his head well
out of the water to see what lay in front of them and then turned to
his companions.

"They can't swim," he said. "We'll have to make them jump overboard,
though, and take a chance in the water. Then, if they don't get
troublesome, we'll probably be able to keep them up until help comes.
You know how to choke them if they try to drag you down. And don't
hesitate, even if it's a woman. It's better to be rough with them than
to let them drown."

Even in the water the heat from the blazing launch was terrific as the
three Scouts approached the burning boat. For those on board it was
even worse. The flames were almost touching them as Jack and the
others got within a boat length of the burning boat, and Jack cupped
his hands and shouted through them, so that those on board could hear
him above the roar of the flames and their own cries of terror and
distress.

"Jump into the water!" he cried. "Don't struggle, and we'll be able to
hold you up all right. But jump quick--it's your only chance!"

One of the women--she was a girl, not more than twenty, Jack
thought--jumped at once. Sparks had set her hair on fire, but the
water put that out as soon as she was in it, and Pete Stubbs, who was
nearest to her, swam to her at once, and supported her in the water.
She was plucky, and made no attempt to interfere with him. He told her
to put her hand on his shoulder and keep perfectly still, and she
obeyed without question.

"Good work!" cried Jack. "Swim ashore with her, Pete, and then come
back here. We need all the help we can get if these others are scared
to jump."

But whether they were scared or not, the fire left them no choice after
a moment