"Quick, reverse her," shouted Jack and forgetful of the race Bob pushed back the switch and shot in the reverse, at the same time turning the tiller wheel to its full limit. It took but a moment for the boat to turn and start back full speed, while the Winner shot past, her course unchanged.
"The miserable cowards," muttered Bob, "they aren't going to stop."
In almost less time than it takes to tell it, the Sprite was back by the overturned boat. The woman was clinging to the end, but the two girls were nowhere to be seen. Quickly shutting off the power, Bob shouted: "Dive, Jack, dive." Over the side went Jack, followed a second later by Bob. The water was about twenty feet deep and very clear, and opening his eyes Bob saw something white about ten feet away and a few strokes enabled him to grasp it. Kicking out lustily he was soon above water, holding one of the little girls by the hair. Glancing about he soon spied Jack with the other girl swimming toward the Sprite, which had floated some distance away. However, it took them but a short time to reach her, and they soon had the two girls in the boat. They had not been in the water long, but both were unconscious.
"Now, Jack, roll them on the bottom of the boat while I start her up and get the woman."
Quickly she was pulled into the boat almost exhausted. "My girls, are they dead?" she moaned.
"I don't think so," replied Bob, heading the Sprite full speed for the wharf, about a quarter of a mile distant.
As the Sprite swung in toward the dock, she was greeted with a tremendous cheer by the crowd, which had watched the rescue, and as the boat struck, eager hands lifted the little girls, who had as yet shown no signs of life, from the boat. It happened that two doctors were present, and they at once set to work to bring back the lives so nearly gone. In a few moments, to the joy of the crowd, one of them began to show signs of life and a little later the other opened her eyes. When told that they would live, the joy and enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds, and Bob and Jack were nearly overwhelmed with praise. Among the first to reach them were Mr. and Mrs. Golden.
"That was worth more, my boys, than winning all the races in the world," was Mr. Golden's greeting, as he took them in his arms, while the tears ran down the cheeks of their mother as she silently kissed them.
"Where are those boys?" shouted a tall, broad-shouldered man as he pushed his way through the crowd, and then, as he saw them, "That was my wife and those were my little girls," and his eyes glistened as he tried to thank them. The boys tried to tell him that it was nothing, but he wouldn't have it so. It developed that he was a rich merchant from Philadelphia, by name, Samuel Wright, who had that summer purchased a cottage at the lake. Before he would let them go he had made them promise that they would call on him the next day or Monday.
"Well, boys, I guess we had better be getting over to the 'Roost,'" said Mr. Golden, as soon as they could get away from the crowd. "Your mother has finished her canning and we are going to stay at the cottage a few weeks."