The four bodies left above were not all of live men; the boys were sure of that. And when they had got the first quartette of castaways started for the destroyer, Belding climbed up to cut away the nearest man. He was very weak, and after he was loosened from the stays he proved to be unable to help himself.
The situation of the two boys from the destroyer was now becoming very precarious indeed. They could not hang on here for much longer themselves.
“One of us will have to go back with this fellow,” declared Belding. “You take him, Phil. I am in better shape than you are.”
“Who told you so?” demanded the Seacove boy. “You take him. I’ll get that other fellow up there and follow you. Al and the others are floating another buoy down to us.”
“No,” said Belding. “I’ll lash this fellow here and he’ll have to take his chance until we get his mate. Those two beyond are dead, aren’t they?”
“Sure,” returned Whistler. “Poor things! Just think of their hanging on here for so long.”
“Oh, yes,” growled Belding, but with some scorn. “You can see just how much good it’s done that captain.”
They were close together or they could not have heard each other speak. The wind shrieked and the waves roared, making a chorus of sounds that well nigh drowned their voices.
With great difficulty they brought the second man down. Then, having lashed each sufferer to a life buoy, Whistler Morgan and Belding set out to swim beside them to the destroyer.
The waves were much higher now and the two lads were not so strong as when they had come out to the Zeppelin. They never could have reached the Colodia without help, and, withal, they were pretty well exhausted when they were drawn to the side of the pitching destroyer.