Larry looked up. There, bearing down on them, was a swift gasolene launch, one of several that had been doing rescue work about the flooded town. The man at the wheel had her headed for the upset rowboat.  
“They’re going to pick us up!” cried Tony.
 
“But it will be too late,” said Larry.
 
“Maybe not, that’s a powerful craft, and maybe they’ll get you to shore ahead of that little skunk!” spoke Tony.
 
“Stand by to be taken off!” cried the captain of the motor boat.
 
With a graceful curve the craft swung up to where Larry and Tony clung to the keel of their boat. The man at the wheel pulled a lever and the screw reversed, though the engines did not stop. The motor boat slowed up, and, as it slowly passed by, the two in the water grasped the gunwale, which was low, and pulled themselves aboard, before the craft had come to a stop.
 
“Saw you upset,” said the motor boat’s captain, “and I headed right for you.”
 
299 “We didn’t upset, we were run down,” said Tony, “and there goes the mean chap that did it,” he added, pointing to Peter’s boat.
 
“Can you put us ashore in a hurry?” asked Larry. “I must get some press dispatches to the telegraph office. I want to beat the boy in that boat. We were beating him, but he ran his boat into ours and upset us. Then he wouldn’t stop to pick us up.”
 
“So you want to get ashore first, eh?” asked the owner of the motor craft. “What paper are you from?”
 
“I’m with Mr. Newton of the Leader,” said Larry.
 
“What, Harvey Newton?” asked the man.
 
“Yes,” said Larry.
 
“Well, I’d do a good bit for Harvey Newton,” the captain went on. “He was at our motor boat races in New York bay last summer, and I found him a good friend.”
 
“Do you think you can get me ashore first?” asked Larry.
 
“Well, he’s got a pretty good start,” said the captain, “but I never saw anything that could beat the Porpoise if you gave her half a show. We’ll see what we can do. Can you steer while I attend to the engines?”
 
“I guess so,” replied Larry.
 
“Better let me,” put in Tony. “I know the lay of the land better than you do.”
 
300 “Go ahead then,” said the captain. “I’ll speed her up for all she’s worth.”
 
He went back to the stern. The steady chug-chug of the motor, which had not ceased, was now increased threefold as the captain shifted various levers, let more gasolene into the cylinders and advanced the spark. Then, with Tony at the wheel, the Porpoise shot ahead, in an attempt to beat Peter to the shore.
 
How the swift craft cut through the water! A big wave arose on either side of the bow. The motors were exploding like a battery of gatling guns as the captain, in the role of engineer, opened the exhaust to clean out the cylinders. Then, shutting it down, the engine throbbed like a big turbine wheel under heavy pressure.
 
Nearer and nearer to the shore the craft forged. Peter, looking back, saw that Larry and Tony had been rescued and, in the fast boat, were bearing down on him.
 
“Row! Row!” he cried to Jim. “They’re going to run us down!”
 
“Don’t worry, they’re not as mean as you are,” said Jim.
 
“Then they’ll beat us ashore!” yelled Peter.
 
“I shouldn’t wonder if they did,” was Jim’s cool reply. “I’m doing my best, but I can’t beat the Porpoise. She’s the fastest boat around here.”
 
Peter’s craft was now about three hundred feet from the shore. There was a big crowd waiting to see the outcome of the affair.
 
 
“ROW! ROW! THEY ARE GOING TO RUN US DOWN”
From Office Boy to ReporterPage 300
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On came the Porpoise, going like a race horse. Larry stood behind Tony, who grasped the spokes of the steering wheel with a firm grip, and kept the craft in a straight course.
 
“Will we beat ’em?” asked Larry in a strained voice.
 
“I don’t know! I hope so,” said Tony as he shook his head to get the water, that was dripping from his hair, out of his eyes.
 
The engines seemed to increase their speed. They throbbed like the heart of an athlete at the end of a two-mile run. Then, as the muffler was cut out, the explosions came with deafening power.
 
Closer and closer to the rowboat came the motor craft. Jim was pulling with all his strength at the oars. Now his boat was but a hundred feet from shore. But, like an eagle swooping down, the Porpoise was after him.
 
“Get ready to jump!” called the captain. “Put her broadside to the shore,” he added to Tony. “We can’t stop without ramming the mud unless you do.”
 
“Aye, aye, sir!” called Tony tersely.
 
Then, in a smother of foam, and passing so close that the wash rocked, and nearly upset the rowboat, the motor craft pas............