He looked up the river at the sound. Between him and a distant light that was reflected on the water shot a black object.
It was a boat containing three persons.
“Merriwell—where are you?”
It was Jack Diamond’s voice!
“Here—this way!”
Weakly Frank answered. Not till he tried to cry out did he realize how very far gone he was. Then it seemed that, but for his friends who were coming to his rescue, there was not one chance in a hundred to reach the shore.
They turned the boat toward him, but it did not seem that they could see him, for they called again and again. He answered and held his own against the current till they reached him. Strong hands reached down and grasped him, following which he was pulled over the bow and into the boat, where he dropped, quite beat out.
Diamond was bending over him.
“The proctor, where is he?”
“Heaven knows!” answered Frank, with a heart-breaking sob. “He is drowned, and I am to blame for it all!”