The stout young Rover hastened to comply, and while he was doing this Jack continued to swim swiftly towards the hapless girl. He caught hold of Ruth’s arm just as she was about to go down a second time.
“Grab hold, Ruth. I’ll support you,” he said. “What is holding you?”
“I don’t know. A strap, I guess. I had one around me and it loosened and slipped to my knees.”
“Just hang over my shoulders and you’ll be all right,” answered the young major. “I was afraid you had been hurt.”
“But, Jack! I can’t move my feet at all!”
“Never mind. We’ll soon have you on board the boat.”
“Where is daddy?”
“Andy and Randy went for him. I’m sure they’ll save him. We’ve got two boats here, and four cadets in each; so there is plenty of assistance at hand.”
At that instant Fred came alongside with the boat and it was the work of but a few seconds to place the dripping girl aboard. Then Jack followed. As Ruth had said, a strap had become tangled around her knees, but this was now disposed of.