“Let me aid you,” he urged. “It will be some time before the steamer reaches us, and——”
“You have enough to hold Jack up. He must be considerable weight on your head. You are very kind.”
“Oh, it’s nothing! I can aid you. You must rest a little to get back your strength. Put your hands on my shoulders. That is it—one on each shoulder. There, now I will simply paddle to keep us afloat, while you rest.”
“How do you dare trust me this way?” she asked. “I may get frightened—seize you around the neck—drown us both.”
“I will take my chances on that. Just keep that dog still, if you can. It’s harder when he is moving around.”
“He can swim a while now,” she said, pushing him off into the water. “It’s too much for you to support us both. It would be selfish of me to expect so much.”
The little dog paddled about them, whining. Merriwell was not attempting to make progress; he was simply keeping afloat without exhausting himself.
“They are taking time enough with the steamer,” he said.
“What if we give out before they can reach us?” she half murmured. “I have no right to drown you!”
“We were strangers, but circumstances have made us acquainted. Rest more upon my shoulders, please. I can keep us up.”