"Jay! Jay! Keep afloat—we'll have you in a minute," yelled Larry Seymour as he crowded to the rail, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"Catch the rope!" Jay heard the cry from the deck of the Jules Verne. Turning he beheld a group of sailors and from their midst one who was ready to cast a line. But even before the line was hurled the figure of another lithe youth poised for a second on the rail and then dived into the water.
"Good boy, Seymour!" came the re-echoing shout. And in the next moment Jay saw the round and puffing face of Larry directly beside him. It was Larry who had dived overboard to the rescue. With a few strokes he was close up and thrust a sturdy shoulder under Jay's shoulders. Jay had turned on his back to rest for a moment.
"Thank God, boy, you got out!" gasped Larry. "Are you hurt? Can you swim?"
Jay replied he was still able to take care of himself.
"Better look for Dick; he must be somewhere around here," was Jay's rejoinder.
But taking no chances, Larry supported his old friend until the line had come over the side of the Jules Verne. When Jay had taken hold and was being yanked aboard Larry turned and swam back in the general direction whence Jay had come, hoping against hope that he would be able to find some trace of Dick. But he was nowhere in sight!
As for Jay, he was given a wonderful welcome when at last he was hauled over the side of the Jules Verne. Eager hands clasped him and landed him in safety at last upon the deck of the vessel.
"Thank heaven, lad, you are safe again—I had almost given up hope of ever seeing you again!" exclaimed Captain Austin as he clasped Jay with a fatherly hug.