“It certainly will,” Clay responded. “There is nothing to fear from the rope, but you must be careful and not get into the current that is sweeping out into the river. No one could swim against that.”
“I’ll be careful, all right!” grinned the boy. “I don’t want to do any long-diving stunts here. If I should go under out there I might not come up until I reached the ocean, which would be too long without food.”
The boy put on an old suit which water and mud would not injure and, taking a light cord, fastened it about his neck and leaped into the swift-running water. He had little difficulty in swimming straight to the tree and, drawing the rope to him by means of the cord, secured the boat to the great cedar by the heavy cable. Then he turned back.
The lights from the boat lighted up the pool, or what had been the pool, and Case and Clay could see the boy sporting about in the water, now trying to mount a log which the current was carrying down, now dodging out of the way of a mass of boughs which obstructed his passage.
“There’s something floating down that looks like a paper!” he finally cried, “and I’m going to get it. Just watch me, will you?”
He struck out into the swift drive of the rivulet and swam boldly for a few strokes, missing the paper at first, but finally overtaking it. When he turned back the boys could see that he was in distress. He was swimming with all his strength, but he was being carried out. The sweep of the tide was too strong for him.
“That’s a fine thing!” Case shouted. “Turn in, kid! Turn in to the bank! Don’t try to swim against the current. Turn in!”
Alex did turn toward the bank, but the water swept him on, and he passed the Rambler with a white face showing under the lights.
“What can we do?” asked Clay, half crazy at the situation. “We can’t do a thing! The ropes are all attached to the tree. Alex,” he called, “try to turn toward the shore! You can’t swim against the whole river! Face the other way, down stream, and point for the shore!”
There was now a roaring in the boy’s ears, and the water seemed a desirable place to rest! After he had lain inactive a moment he would have the strength to swim out! Many a tired swimmer has been deceived by the same ideas that came to Alex—and never came out again except by the aid of human hands!