"Well, he is a cool one, whoever he is," said Sam, in a low tone. "If I were in his situation I should think I stood in need of a good deal of assistance."
Just in time.
Sam quickly shipped the oar, which his companion handed to him, and pulled toward the disabled boat, while Oscar threw off his coat, pushed back his sleeves, and, jumping upon the stern-sheets, showed Sam, by signs, how to guide the skiff.
A few of the latter's long, sweeping strokes brought them around the stern of the sail-boat, and there, clinging to the swaying rudder with both hands, and apparently so nearly overcome by his sudden immersion in the cold water that he was on the very point of letting go his hold, was a bald-headed old gentleman in spectacles.
As the boys came up he extended one hand toward them, and at the same instant the other slipped off the rudder. He went down like a piece of lead, and in a second more would have been out of sight, had not Oscar dashed forward, plunged his arms into the water up to his shoulders, and seized him by the collar.
This action on his part would have overturned the skiff in an instant, or else Oscar would have gone overboard, had it not been for an equally prompt action on the part of Sam Hynes.
The latter, who never lost his head under any circumstances, threw himself as far as he could over the opposite side of the boat to counterbalance Oscar's weight, at the same time bracing his feet firmly and seizing his friend by the waistband of his trousers.
"Hang on to him," he shouted, "and I can trim the boat and heave you both in!"