“No, no!” cried the girl. “Let me go! I’ll try—try to swim. And you can drop after me and—and—pull me out! Let me go!”
“Wait!” shouted Alec. “Can you hold on a minute longer, Billy? There’s someone coming!”
Then came the sound of someone running over the ties, and Alec gave a little gasp of relief.
“Is that you, Chet?” he asked, without looking up or turning his head.
“Engineer,” answered a gruff but tremulous voice. “Here, let me help you.”
“Take hold of my feet, then,” Alec replied. “Lower me down another six inches so that I can reach them. Quick, now!”
The man obeyed promptly. While he was speaking, Alec had slackened his hold with his legs, and the engineer lost not a minute in catching his ankles in a firm grip. The next moment Alec held the girl in his arms, and he managed, by a great effort, to pass her to Chester, who had just run up to help.
“Now, catch hold again,” he said to the engineer as he leaned over the edge once more. “Get a good grip this time; Billy’s no lightweight.”
“Hi! what are you going to do?” yelled Chester, dropping down beside him. “Alec, let me take a turn! I can pull Billy up if——”
“Never mind me; I can climb up alone,” called Billy in a faint voice from under the track. And he swung sidewise until he could brace his feet against a cross-pile.