The Harrapin Belle careened far over on the port side, because everyone aboard had hastened to that quarter, in order to learn what happened. They saw Lanky come to the surface after his dive, and fling the water out of his eyes. Then he struck out for the spot where the girl seemed to be struggling, trying to swim perhaps; for Dora was known to possess that accomplishment, though her skirts bothered her considerably now.
“Hurray! he’s got her!” whooped Ben Allison, in great excitement.
“Bully for our Lanky; he’s just the screamer to-day, though! Won the long run; and now saved the prettiest girl outside of Columbia town!” shouted another boy.
The girls were clapping their hands, and almost wishing that fortune had been kind enough to let them figure in the rôle of a heroine; though the water did look pretty wet, and it was evidently very deep right at this point in the Harrapin.
“We must get them in, fellows!” called Ben, as he gave the signal for the boy at the engine to back the boat down the current.
“Oh! be careful, Ben, and don’t run over them!” begged Helen, as a new fear began to tug at her heart.
“I’ll look out,” came the confident reply, as the boat started slowly to follow the current, and gain on the struggling couple.
But Lanky was not worrying a bit. He had his arm tight around the waist of Dora, and was easily keeping himself afloat, for he was a good swimmer—almost like a duck in the water, his mates used to say.
“Are you all right, Dora?” he asked, wondering whether she had retained her senses through it all.
She clung all the tighter to him, as though that alone ought to answer his question. Perhaps, after it was all over, Dora would treat him just as coldly as ever; but while it lasted Lanky was not “caring whether school kept or not,” as he described it.