Now they were closing in.  The hydroplane round-up was being carried out in what seemed to be a successful manner; and if all went well during the next few minutes the drifting fugitives would be hauled aboard by Andy, who stood ready to act the part of gallant rescuer to the king’s taste.

It happened by mere accident that they were on that side of the sinking wreck where the larger man clung; and this was just as it should have been, since he seemed more in need of help, at least in far greater distress of mind, than the smaller man.

“Get ready, Andy!” warned the pilot; “I’ll shut off the power if it seems best; but it may keep us on a more even keel if we move along.”

“I’m going to try and get hold, and then pull him aboard; hope we don’t have a spill, though!” the other sent back, as he braced himself as best the conditions allowed.

Frank gave one little turn to the rudder, for he was afraid that they might get past without coming in reach.  Then the gap was completed, and Andy, leaning over, managed to get hold of the sinking man by the collar of his coat.

There was where the greatest danger lay.

When a man or a boy has the terror of drowning pressed in upon his heart, he is usually a most unreasonable being; and will even clasp his intended rescuer about the neck, and prevent him from carrying out his plans that might have worked well only for this blundering.

“Take it easy, you!” yelled Andy, as he saw the man clutch hold of the framework of the hydroplane, and struggle desperately to work his way along to where the others were.  “If you give us half a chance we’ll save you, all right; but upset us and well all like as not go down together.  Slower, I tell you, or I’ll give you this to teach you something.  This ain’t an ocean liner, d’ye understand.  Let up!”

Whether it was the excited words of the boy, the manner in which he flourished that short steel bar, or his ferocious looks, that brought the excited man to his senses no one could ever say; but he did relax some of his frantic movements and began to act more within reason.

This presently gave Andy the opportunity he wanted to stretch out a helping hand, and get a firm grip of the other’s coat collar; after which he exerted himself to the utmost to assist him to climb aboard.

What with his own weight, and the fact that his clothes were dripping with water, the addition of the new passenger caused the delicately constructed and already heavily freighted hydroplane to sink more deeply.

Frank, in that supreme moment realized that it would be almost a hopeless task to think of once more flying, with such a cargo aboard.  Possibly the best they could do would be to keep afloat, and hope that the pursuing tug might come up with them before the darkness set in; and they could all be rescued.

Now that the first of the imperiled airmen had been hauled aboard, there remained but Casper Blue himself.  The wreck had not as yet sunk wholly, since, relieved from the weight of the heavy man, it seemed to possess enough buoyancy to remain on the surface of the water.  But this could be only for a short time; the planes would soon be thoroughly soaked, and then the end must come, when the clinging man would find himself deprived of all support, and must swim or go down.