A moment later she emerged and they could see her swimming about and waving her arms. The Sleuth had drawn closer to the yacht in the meantime and now the boys could hear a faint cry for help.
Tensely, Frank leaned over the wheel. Great clouds of smoke were pouring from the yacht.
"We'll have to rescue her!" he said. "It's her only chance."
The yacht had passed the woman by now, and although a life-buoy had been flung out it was some distance away from her. Hampered by her wet clothes, the woman was making no progress toward it. Slowly, the yacht began to circle, but the lads saw that it would never reach her in time.
The Sleuth ploughed on through the waves.
The boys saw the woman throw up her hands with a despairing gesture and disappear beneath the surface.
CHAPTER II
The Rescue
As the Hardy boys sped toward the woman, who appeared above the surface again in a moment and began to struggle wildly, they saw that confusion prevailed on board the yacht.
Great clouds of smoke were pouring from amidship. People were running frantically about the deck. Efforts were being made to lower a lifeboat, but apparently something went wrong, for it sagged perilously and then stuck, with two sailors working hastily to release it.