He sank his voice low.
“Dey bane make me halp Hawke while he put sand by carburetors.”
“So it was Hawke, or La Rue, that played that rascally trick!” cried Ralph.
“Sure. He bane hidden forvard. Dey hear you mean tell police about dem. Den dey cook up plan so you no get avay.”
“The precious scamp!—but, well, he’s gone now. Hansen, you must come below and help me get Malvin on deck. Is he conscious, do you know?”
“He bane sit up when I come trou’ cabin from angine room,” said the man.
“Very well, then. We must get him up here. The boat is hard aground and may be going to break up. We must get ashore.”
“How we do dat?”
“We must swim for it. I’ll try the water and see how deep it is.”
The lead line showed, to Ralph’s great joy, that the water alongside was not beyond his depth. Both Hansen and Malvin were tall men. With good luck, it might be possible to wade ashore. It was while he was heaving up the lead that he noticed a dark object lying on the bridge, right where La Rue had taken his crazed leap.