Men aboard the barge were yelling and calling warnings and suggestions and the searchlight of the Rocket danced about the water as Lanky tried to compensate for the failure of Paul Bird, not very expert at the wheel, to hold the Rocket where it belonged.
Down into the river went the intrepid boy, bent on bringing Cunningham to the surface if possible—and determined that it was possible.
It seemed hours to the three boys on the Rocket before they spied Frank’s head on the surface, bobbing suddenly from the water, and saw that he was tugging at a heavy load.
“Here, Ralph! You take the searchlight! Keep it squarely on Frank and I’ll get the boat over!”
Lanky got Ralph West into active service, and, as he felt he could handle the Rocket better than Paul Bird was doing, he took hold of the wheel and brought the Rocket around to the spot where Frank struggled to keep himself above water and hold the other at the same time.
“Paul, give him a hand! Grab him when I get up close!” called Wallace, the engine cut down to low speed, as he glided easily toward the boy in the water.
It was the work of but a few more seconds to get Frank out of the water and to drag Fred Cunningham along with him.
“Let’s try to save him,” gasped Frank, unmindful of his own condition.
A cry went up from the barge when they pulled the two boys over to the deck of the Rocket, and now the skipper of the towboat yelled:
“Ahoy there! Can I help you any? Is he all right, or can you get him over to town?”