Chapter VIII: The Cadets to the Rescue

"They are overboard!"

"They'll be drowned!"

"We must save them!"

Such were the three exclamations that came from Jack, Pepper, and Andy as Laura and Flossie Ford sank beneath the surface of the broad and rippling lake.

"My daughters! My daughters!" came in an agonizing cry from Rossmore Ford. "Save them! Save them! I cannot swim!"

"We'll save them!" shouted back Jack, and bent to the oars of the rowboat, while Pepper did the same. Andy was in the bow, and stood up, ready to dive overboard should it become necessary to do so.

The mishaps had occurred some distance away and it took nearly a minute for the small craft to reach the locality. In the meantime both Laura and Flossie had reappeared and were shrieking for help. Both could swim a little, but not enough to keep up with all of their clothing and their shoes on.

"Save them! Save them!" Mr. Ford continued to call out, and tried his best to bring the yacht around again.

By the time the rowboat was at hand the girls had disappeared once more. As quick as a flash Andy dove overboard, for he had caught a brief glimpse of Flossie's dress.

"I see the other one, Pep!" called out Jack. "Keep the boat handy!" And then he followed Andy into the water.

It was a long dive for Jack, but it brought him close beside Laura, and soon he had hold of the girl and was bringing her to the surface. She clutched him tightly, and he had all he could do to keep her from shutting off his breath.

"Don't--don't hold so tight--you--you are safe," he gasped, when they got their heads above water. "Here is a rowboat. I'll put you in that!"

"Oh!" murmured Laura. "Ple--please don't let me go down again!"

"I won't. Here's the boat. Now easy, Pep, or you'll tip over."

"I've got her, Jack," was the reply, and bracing himself in the rowboat, Pepper hauled the young lady aboard.

"Where's Andy?" questioned the young major, looking around.

"I see him," answered Pepper, and a moment later Andy came up, holding Flossie by the back of her shirt-waist. The girl was partly unconscious.

"Got tangled up in some wild grass on the bottom," spluttered Andy. "Here, take her," and he held her up, and soon Flossie was resting on the seats of the rowboat.

By this time several boats were coming up, including the steam tug containing the judge of the coming race.

"They're safe!" was the cry. And this was re-echoed on all sides.

"Are they--they all right?" asked Rossmore Ford, in a faltering voice.

"Yes, sir."

"Thank God for that!" murmured the rich man. "Will you bring the rowboat up here?"

"Better lower your mainsail first," suggested Pepper. This was done, and soon the rowboat was alongside of the yacht, and then the girls were passed up to the deck.

"Oh, dear, what has happened?" murmured Flossie, opening her eyes. She gave a shudder. "I--we went overboard, didn't we?" And she gazed around in wonder.

"Are you all right, Laura?" questioned the father.

"Yes, pa--but I--I don't want to fall overboard again," said the older of the two sisters.

"Neither do I," put in Flossie. She was recovering rapidly. "It was the boom struck us, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Let us get out of the crowd," whispered Jack. "The girls are all right now."

"Just as you say," answered Andy. And they rowed away as rapidly as they had come up.

"Hi! hi!" called out Rossmore Ford. "Wait! I want to thank you for what you have done."

"Oh, that's all right, sir," called back Jack.

"Come back, won't you?" pleaded the rich man.

"We'll have to go back," said Andy, and once more the rowboat was turned around, and presently they boarded the yacht and tied the small craft behind.

"Are those young ladies safe?" asked the judge of the race, from the steam tug.

"They are," answered Rossmore Ford.

"Good," and the tug soon after that moved away, and so did the majority of the other boats.

"I owe you young gentlemen a good deal for saving my daughters," said Rossmore Ford.

"I shall never forget what you did," put in Laura, with a bright glance at Jack.

"You saved us from death," came from Flossie, and gave Andy a grateful look.

"Your boom came around pretty lively," said the young major.

"Yes. The--er--fact is, I don't know as much about sailing a boat as I'd like to," answered the owner of the yacht. "I'll have to be more careful in the future."

He asked the cadets their names, and then introduced himself and his daughters, and all shook hands.

"Pa, we'll have to go home and put on some dry clothing," said Laura.

"Gracious me, I never thought of that!" exclaimed the fond parent. "To be sure--we'll go back at once. Do you wish to go along, young gentlemen?"

"I guess we had better stay behind and see the race," answered Jack, after a questioning look at his companions.

"Yes, I presume you are greatly interested. I was interested myself."

"I hope your school wins," came from Laura.

"So do I," added her sister.

"You must give us a call some time," went on Rossmore Ford. "Our home is up the lake--Point View Lodge we call it. We shall be glad to see you any time."

"Thank you, perhaps we'll come up," said Andy, and the others said practically the same. Then the cadets jumped into their rowboat once more and the yacht went on its way.

"They are certainly nice people," was Pepper's comment. "You two fellows are regular heroes for saving the maidens fair."

"Pooh! As if you didn't have as much to do with it as anybody!" cried Jack.

"I didn't leap into the briny deep, as the novelists say."

"Briny deep is good," laughed Andy. "Why, the water isn't over twelve feet deep around here."

"It's deep enough to drown in. If you don't believe it, stand on the bottom and find out." And then there was a general laugh.

The race between the cadets of Putnam Hall and the boys from Pornell Academy was now about to start. Crack! went the pistol and down into the clear waters of Cayuga Lake went the oars.

"They are off!"

"And Putnam Hall leads!" came the cry half a minute later.

It was true, almost from the start Putnam Hall led by half a length. The oarsmanship of the crew was perfect, and the lead was held for the first half of the race.

"Oh, if only they can keep it up!" cried Pepper.

"Go it, boys, go it!" yelled Jack. "You've got to win!"

"Show 'em what Putnam Hall can do!" cried Andy.

On and on flew the two boats. Putnam Hall was still ahead, but only a few inches.

"We're going to lose the lead!" cried Harry Blossom. "Too bad!"

"Are we?" came from Dave Kearney. "Not much! How is that for a spurt?"

As he spoke the captain of the Putnam Hall crew spoke to his fellows, and in a twinkling the time of the stroke was increased. Straight to the front leaped the boat, until the stern was even with the bow of the rival's craft.

"They are going ahead!"

"Hurrah for Putnam Hall!"

"Pull, Pornell, pull! You've got to win!"

So the cries ran on and the crew of the Pornell boat did their best to increase their stroke. But they could not overtake Putnam Hall and when the line was crossed the latter was the winner by two lengths and a half.

A wild din went up. Horns tooted, rattles clacked loudly, and cheer after cheer rent the air.

"That's the way to beat 'em!"

"Pornell wasn't in it from start to finish!"

"Better go home and learn to row!"

The rivals felt sheepish enough, and without loss of time they rowed ashore and the members of the crew disappeared, followed by those who had come from Pornell Academy to see them win.

"You have certainly done very well," said Captain Putnam, to the winning crew. "Your stroke was almost perfect."

"And it was well kept up," came from George Strong. "I never saw a prettier race in my life."

Josiah Crabtree had nothing to say, for he took no interest in sports. But nobody paid attention to the crabbed teacher.

The races were followed by a general holiday time, in which nearly all of the cadets participated. Only Dan Baxter and his crowd went away. They departed for a deserted boathouse, and there sat talking and smoking cigarettes.

"I suppose those fellows will have swelled heads after this," muttered the bully.

"Sure," grumbled Paxton. "But I don't care. If they try to crow over me----"

"What will you do?" asked Mumps.

"Never mind, I'll do something."

"And I'll help," came from the bully of the school. "We have got to take them down a peg or two, or else they'll be running the whole Hall to suit themselves."