Part 11 (1/2)
”No!” objected Jimmie. ”Don't say that! I don't want any more Boy Scouts mixed up in this! It isn't fair!”
”Just the same, he's there!” laughed Harry.
”Well, then,” stated Jimmie, with a sigh of resignation, ”we are in for another siege of it. I never knew it to fail! Just as quickly as we get going somewhere and a Boy Scout shows up there's trouble ahead and lots of it! Why can't they stay home?”
”Now, Jimmie,” cautioned Ned, ”you know we've never in all our adventures found a Boy Scout that really brought us ill luck. Sometimes they've caused us a lot of trouble, but usually they help!”
”That's true, too, but I wish we could get home to the little old U. S.
A. without mixing up in this 'U-13' business with the Boy Scouts!”
”Maybe it'll come out all right after all,” soothed Ned.
”Maybe,” reluctantly agreed Jimmie. ”I say, Harry,” he continued, ”let me take those gla.s.ses. I want to see what that fellow's like.”
Long and eagerly the lad peered through the binoculars.
”I see him!” he cried, presently. ”He's going up the foreshrouds! I'll bet he's working his pa.s.sage on that steamer!”
”What's he doing on the foreshrouds?” asked Ned.
”It looks as if something had fouled at the fore top,” replied Jimmie.
”He's going up to clear it, I guess. Oh, look!” the boy shouted. ”He's falling! He's broken one of the ratlines and is falling!”
”I see him!” cried Ned. ”I can see him!”
”Oh, good!” exclaimed Jimmie, the next moment. ”He hit the shrouds and the steamer rolled at the right minute, throwing him clear of the deck.
See that splash in the water?”
”I see it!” answered the others, together.
”Are they trying to help him?” asked Harry.
”Yes, they are,” stated Jimmie. ”They've thrown him a ring buoy!”
”Can you see him now?” asked Ned.
”Yes, and he's swimming. There must be a current in here that's dragging him away from the steamer. The buoy fell short and he's swimming directly away from the steamer. He's coming towards us!”
Intently the lad watched the one in the water. He swam a good stroke resting easily, even though somewhat impeded by his clothing.
Now and again as the crest of a wave approached the swimmer his head was submerged, only to reappear again in the yeasty froth following the racing monster. Eagerly his progress was noted by all on board the schooner. They were at a loss to understand why he had left his own vessel to swim toward a strange craft.
Presently, however, as he approached the Lena k.n.o.bloch the lad's strokes became more feeble. He was evidently tiring rapidly.
”Captain, what do you say to getting a boat over?” asked Ned.
”Vhait!” grunted von Kluck. ”Id's lots of vork to do id!”