"Get back!" he ordered gruffly, "you've escaped. You've got no——"
The rest of his words were lost to posterity forever, for Sandy had dropped nimbly into the boat, followed by Jack. Their sudden weight tipped it to one side.
The sailor, who had been standing erect, toppled over with a splash and a yell.
"Pull! Pull for your life!" shouted Sandy.
"Pull! pull for your life!" shouted Sandy, laying hold of an oar. Jack needed no second order, but picked up another. Both lads tugged away for dear life. In the meantime, the sailor, who could swim well, had laid hold of a rope and pulled himself back on board the tug.
The lads had not got a dozen yards from the tug's side before Walstein's voice came across the water:
"Come back to the tug instantly!" he yelled from where he stood, amidst quite a crowd of the crew at the stern of the craft.
"We're in a hurry, thank you!" hailed back Sandy, defiantly.