It was a shape of something lying low in the water, and moving sluggishly on the swell. Our hero had only a glimpse of it at almost the tail-end of the lightning flash, and he waited for another illumination before deciding what the object was.
Then the whole heavens seemed lighted up by a great flash and our hero saw the object again.
“A boat!” he cried. “And some one in it.”
He whirled about in the water, headed for the object, and struck out.
“Help! Help!” he cried again. “Wait for me.”
Back came the answer over the waste of waters.
“We can’t do anything but wait. Swim over here. Go by the lightning.”
Once more Tom saw what he thought was the boat, by the glare of a flash. Then its peculiar shape impressed him.
“It’s an upset boat!” he gasped. “They’ve been thrown out and are clinging to the bottom. But it’s a big one, though. Much bigger than any of the lifeboats. I wonder what it can be?”
On he swam toward the craft.