“Come, Steve!” cried Walter; “don’t let them catch us up; pull away!”
“All right, Walter,” replied Steve, “I’ll back you up!”
The boat moved quickly through the water, but, after a few minutes, the other began to gain on them. They pulled as hard as they could, when they heard a noise, and saw that one of the boys in the other boat had caught a crab and had lost his oar. They were near the bridge, where the water was deep, and the current, being narrowed in width, ran more quickly. Steve and Walter shot through the middle arch and left off rowing.
“Walter,” cried out Steve, “they haven’t got a rudder, and are drifting against the bridge!”
“Look out, King,” shouted Walter, “or you’ll be dashed against the bridge!”
King turned his head round, and in a moment saw the danger which threatened his boat; it was rapidly drifting nearly broadside towards the centre pier of the bridge. If it struck it, there was every probability of its being capsized. He began to pull vigorously with his one oar, when it snapped, and, with a grating noise, the boat struck the bridge.
“Sit still all of you,” shouted King, “or you’ll have the boat over!”
Standing up, he held tightly to the bridge, while Walter and Steve turned their boat round and pulled hard against the stream to their help.
“Don’t stir!” cried King, as one of the boys in fear tried to clutch hold of the pier. “If you move we shall all be in the water.”
Walter and Steve pulled through the next arch, and, coming close to the boat, Alfred laid hold of the stern of it while they rowed. In a few minutes they had drawn the second boat up the stream, clear of the bridge; then, again pulling round, they fastened it behind theirs, shot the bridge, and soon reached the landing-stage.