They all looked up, startled, and Tom cried:
“It’s an explosion; On that motor boat!”
Looking to where he pointed they saw a cloud of smoke hovering over the craft containing Clarence Hawkesbury and the cadets.
CHAPTER XV
HARD WORK
“She’s on fire!” cried Sam.
“A goner!” echoed Harry.
“Steady all!” exclaimed Tom, in as calm a tone as he could command at that critical time. “Steady all! And give way—hard!”
They all knew what he meant. That they were to row to the rescue of those in the motor boat, where something had exploded—just what, whether merely a carburetor, filled with gasoline, or the main tank, could not be ascertained. Certain it was that Clarence and those other cadets seemed to be in great danger. They were standing up in the bow of the craft now, as far away from the smoke and, presumably, the flames, as they could get, and were shouting and waving their arms.
“Row hard!” ordered Tom, and he seemed, naturally, to take command.
They had a six-oared barge, and Tom, as it happened, was at the stern, in charge of the tiller lines when the explosion occurred. He retained his place, and headed the craft directly for the one now enshrouded in smoke.