All at once the girl lost her blade overboard, and the lady, pulling on hers, sent the rowboat about in a circle. Around it spun, right in the path of the oncoming Comet.
“Slow up! Go to the left—no the right—back up—we’ll be killed—they’ll be killed—jump over them—up in the air—do something!” yelled Andy Rush.
“Quiet!” shouted Jerry. He saw that it would be useless to call further to the occupants of the rowboat. They were helpless. Nor did it seem possible to stop the Comet in time, though Jerry had his hand on the reverse lever. Even at slackened speed, if they hit the small boat, they would upset it, either killing the occupants or throwing them into the water. And there was grave danger to the comparatively frail Comet, in the event of a collision.
[CHAPTER XIII]
OFF TO THE MEET
Jerry Hopkins made up his mind that there was but one thing to do. It was utterly out of the question to stop in time now, or to swerve from the direct path, in which was the small boat.
“We’ve got to jump over them!” murmured the tall lad to himself. “We’ve hardly speed enough to rise, yet I’ve got to chance it. If I don’t——”
He dared not think of the alternative. With a quick motion he threw the lever of the motor over as far as it would go. It meant full speed ahead, and with a rush and a roar, a rumbling and trembling, the powerful machine took up the extra fuel that was thrown into it.
“It’s now or never!” murmured the steersman, while the occupants of the motor-ship gazed ahead with fear-filled eyes. In the small boat crouched the woman and girl, while on board the sailing yacht a man was vainly reaching out with a landing hook, endeavoring to pull the little craft out of danger.