Two boats were aimed in Clancy's direction, and two pairs of oars struck the water.
"Crack your back, Burton!" yelled Hill, "If you want to get even with Wynn, now's your chance! Do your prettiest! The two men from the Sylvia are trying to beat us to Clancy–and it's a close race."
Hill could see the dark form in the water, and the black shadow of the other boat rushing toward it. An idea flashed through his mind–an idea as dangerous as it might possibly be successful.
"Starboard oar, Burton!" he whooped. "Hard on the starboard oar!"
Burton's back was to the exciting little scene. He could only obey orders as he heard them. All his strength went suddenly into the starboard oar. The boat began to whirl; and then:
Crash! The bow of the craft swung against the side of the boat from the Sylvia. The Sylvia's men were dumped into the water, but Hill flung himself on the port gunwale of his own boat and kept it from turning turtle.
Burton, hurled from his seat by the force of the collision, picked himself up and took note of the situation Hill had caused. Two life preservers came whizzing from the deck of the Sylvia, and the two men in the water each grabbed one.
"Bully!" yelled Burton, as Hill helped Clancy aboard. "There's the satchel! Clancy brought away the grip with the money! Oh, this is better than I hoped for!"
The motor wizard dropped with a splash into the bottom of the boat. While Hill held up his head and wrung the water out of his red hair, Burton got back on the midship thwart and grabbed the oars.
"Where's Katz, Clancy?" Hill asked.