Bob did not have enough strength to insist and so they kept on until it seemed he could not possibly take another stroke. Was this to be the end?
"I—I've got to—give—" he heard Jack cry but, at the same moment his heart gave a great leap for his feet touched something and, the next instant he was standing only waist deep in the water and helping Jack to recover his footing while holding the captain's head above water with one hand.
"Just in time," he encouraged his brother.
"I—I'll say—it was," Jack's teeth chattered so that he could hardly speak.
Between them they managed to drag the unconscious form of the captain through the shallow water to the shore, which was covered to a depth of several inches, with snow.
"What are we going to do?" Jack panted as he looked about him. "We'll all be frozen stiff in a few minutes if we stand here. Suppose we can get a fire going?"
"I've got a waterproof box of matches somewhere but I'm afraid we'll not be able to find anything that'll burn."
"Well we'd better—" Jack began and then uttered a cry of joy. "There comes somebody," he shouted.
Through the gloom they could see a point of light swinging in such a way that they knew someone was approaching with a lantern.
"This way, quick," Bob shouted, and, a moment later a tall, thickset man stood beside them.