“Jim should have known better than to have taken a chance when he could see this mess of weather brewing,” snorted the doctor.
“His wife’s sick,” put in Mrs. Blair, “and Jim’s probably taken an extra risk to get home as soon as possible.”
“I know,” said Doctor Stevens.
“He’s bailing by hand,” cried Tom. “That means something has gone wrong with the water pump on the engine.”
“Can you see what boat he has?” asked Doctor Stevens.
“It looks like the Flyer,” said Helen, who knew the lines of every motorboat on the lake.
“That’s the poorest wet weather boat Jim has,” said Doctor Stevens. “Every white cap slops over the side. She’s fast but a death trap in a storm. Either the Liberty or the Argosy would eat up weather like this.”
“Jim’s been overhauling the engines in his other boats,” said Tom, “and the Flyer is the only thing he has been using this spring.”
“Instead of standing here talking, let’s get down to the shore,” said Helen. “Maybe we can get someone to go out and help him.”
Without waiting for the others to reply, Helen started running toward the lake. She heard a cry behind her and turned to see Tom pointing toward the hills in the west.