“I’ll bet General de Guzman and Charbonde are praying for our deaths harder than they ever did for anything in their lives before,” thought Ned, as he came to the surface.
The Americans swam on. Only a few feet now. Already hands were held out to them from the decks of the Costavezan destroyer.
“Swim, for Heaven’s sake, swim!”
The sudden cry came from the midshipman.
In their anxiety to gain the destroyer and avoid the shells from the land batteries, they had entirely forgotten another danger—sharks!
As the middy’s cry of warning sounded, a sharp, triangular fin, showing blackly above the blue, came rushing investigatingly toward them. It was followed by another and another. Truly there was desperate need of every ounce of energy that remained in their tired bodies.
How they did it Ned never knew. Subsequent comparison of notes revealed the fact that the others were quite as ignorant as he, but somehow they struggled on, till their outstretched fingers touched the sides of the General Barrill. Willing hands were extended from her decks, and they were drawn on board. None too soon, however, for as Ned’s toes left the water a greenish body gleamed near the surface and made a dart, like the spring of a tiger, for the rescued boy. Ned could not repress a shudder as he realized how very narrow his escape had been.
Had they not had the word “American” plainly inscribed in their faces, voices and actions, it is doubtful what would have been their reception on board the Costavezan sea-scout. As matters were, however, in spite of their positively tramp-like appearance, they were speedily recognized, before they even spoke, as belonging to the powerful nation which had befriended the South American power.
The decks of the General Barrill presented a vastly different appearance to the trim aspect of the Beale. They were littered with debris of the bombardment, and here and there Ned noted, with a shudder, some crimson splashes. Evidently the destroyer had not come off scot free in her daring attack. Even while he was subconsciously noting all this, a shell burst so close to the craft that a smother of spray showered her.