The Boy Scouts Patrol | Page 8

that!" cried Donald suddenly, when the boys were a
hundred yards from the canoe. "Did you ever see such a fool trick as
that? Just when he was coming out all right, too. Pull for ail you are
worth, boys!"
Even as he spoke the boys had gripped their oars and sent their boat at
racing speed for the canoe.
What had called forth Donald's exclamation was, that just as the Dart
was passing the canoe one of the girls, who was seated in the stern, had
suddenly risen to her feet to wave her handkerchief at some one on the
yacht. As she stood up the swell from the yacht caught the light craft,
rolling it from side to side, and the girl losing her balance pitched
headlong over the side of the boat, capsizing it. In a moment they were
all struggling in the river. As the canoe went over the man caught the
girl nearest to him and helped her to the boat and then turned to aid the
other girl, but she had disappeared.
"Nellie!" he called, striking out in the direction he had last seen her.

"Nellie, Nellie! where are you?"
By this time the boys had reached the scene of the upset.
"Keep up your courage," shouted Rand, "we'll pick you up!"
[Illustration: "They were all struggling in the water."]
"Never mind me!" called the young man as they came near. "See if you
can't save my sister. She doesn't know how to swim."
"All right," called Rand, "we'll find her."
"Where has she gone?" asked Donald.
"I don't see anything of her," said Rand, who was standing in the bow
of the boat intently watching for any sign of the girl. "Yes, there she
is." A pale face had appeared for a moment on the surface. "Straight
ahead, boys!"
As the boat came to the spot where he had seen her Rand made a long
dive overboard, coming up a moment later with the inanimate body of
the girl. He was joined almost immediately by Donald, who had
followed him overboard, and so aided him in supporting her until
Pepper and Jack had reached them with the boat.
It required no little effort on the part of the boys to get the helpless girl
into the boat, but it was finally done, and they rowed back to the
assistance of the others. The other girl was helped from the overturned
canoe, to which she was clinging, into their boat which was now loaded
to its full capacity.
"Never mind me," called the man, who was about twenty-two or three
years old, "I can hold on behind until we get ashore!"
"Is she alive?" asked the other girl, as she was helped into the boat,
looking fearfully at the girl lying in the stern. "Very much so,"
answered Pepper, who had been feeling her pulse. "The first thing to do
is to get some of the water out of her lungs, if there is any there. Hold

her with her head down. That's all right! Now, then, let's get ashore as
fast as we can."
As the canoe had overturned the captain of the Dart, who was in the
pilot house, seeing the accident, had rung for slow speed and, putting
the yacht about, hurried back to the place. But, except for the fortunate
presence of the boys, it is doubtful if he would have arrived in time to
be of any assistance.
"Can we help you in any way?" called Mr. Whilden, the owner of the
yacht, who was standing at the gangway as it ran down close to the
boat. "I was afraid we wouldn't get here in time."
"There is an unconscious girl here that would be better on your boat,"
replied Rand.
"All right," responded Mr. Whilden, "we'll take her on board. Can you
come alongside?" This end was shortly accomplished, then, lifting the
girl up in their arms, Donald and Rand passed her to Mr. Whilden and
the captain.
"Have you a doctor on board?" called Pepper. "She needs attention
right away."
"Yes," responded a gentleman who was standing by. "I am a physician,
I will take care of her."
At this moment there was a scream from a lady on the yacht as she
caught sight of the girl. "Why it is Nellie! She is dead!" she cried, and
would have fallen to the deck if she had not been caught by Mr.
Whilden.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "How in the world could Nellie get here?"
adding a moment later as he looked more closely: "Surely it is she. Is
there any hope for her, Doctor?"
"Of course there is," replied the physician. "She is coming around all
right, thanks to these young men, who rescued her."

"And where are they?" asked