Dick Hamilton's Fortune Part 19

They reached the island in quick time, for the boat was a fast one, but, to their disappointment, the cave did not prove so mysterious as they had hoped. They managed to get to the end of it, though the way was choked with dirt and rocks, and found nothing of interest.

"This cave is a regular lemon," announced Bricktop.

"What did you hope for? To find some of Captain Kidd's treasure?" asked Walter.

"Well, it might have been used by the Indians once," was the red-haired youth's answer. "Some day I'm going to bring a lantern and see if I can't find a few arrow heads or the graves of some dead Indians."

In spite of their disappointment, the boys managed to have a good time, to which the fine lunch added not a little. It was getting dusk when they started for home, with d.i.c.k at the steering wheel.

As they approached the dock at Hamilton Corners they saw, when a mile away, that the lake in the vicinity of the boat-house was lighted up.

"What's going on?" asked Walter.

"Oh, it's carnival night," replied d.i.c.k. "I forgot all about it. They're going to have a procession of boats on the lake. We'll hurry up and join in. I wish I'd thought to decorate my boat."

He speeded up the craft, anxious, as were the other boys, to take part in the water pageant. They bore down on a little fleet of boats, gaily decorated, and filled with merry, laughing, young persons. The procession was just forming.

Suddenly there sounded a sharp report aboard d.i.c.k's boat.

"The motor back-fired," he said. "Take the wheel, Walter, while I look after it."

But, a moment later, it was seen that it was no mere back-fire in a cylinder. A sheet of flame arose from the bottom of the craft.

"The gasolene tank has exploded!" yelled d.i.c.k. "Jump for your lives, boys! The boat's afire!"

Above the hissing, crackling flames the motor still puffed away, sending the boat straight toward a confused flotilla of other craft, the occupants of which set up screams of terror as they saw what had happened.

"Jump!" cried d.i.c.k again, as he crawled aft and tried to shut off the engine.

Three splashes in the water told that his companions had leaped overboard and were comparatively out of danger.

"Come on, d.i.c.k!" cried Bricktop, rising to the surface. "Jump, or you'll be burned to death."

"I can't!" yelled back d.i.c.k, s.h.i.+elding his face from the awful flames with his arm. "I've got to shut off the engine, or the boat'll run into some other one and set it afire!"

Once more he bravely tried to work his way to the engine. He could not reach the gasolene c.o.c.k from where he was. He cast a look ahead, and saw that his boat was approaching, at swift speed, a knot of other boats, the steersmen of which were too confused to know what to do. Some were getting out of the way, but others were in the direct course of the burning craft.

"What can I do?" d.i.c.k asked himself in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "I must stop the boat, or steer it out of the way--but how?"

He could neither reach the engine nor the wheel, for the fire was now raging in bow and stern. He stood in a little c.o.c.kpit amids.h.i.+ps, where, for the moment, there were no flames.

d.i.c.k looked desperately about him. Nearer and nearer his craft shot to the boats containing girls in their light summer dresses. Once the burning motor boat touched the craft in which the young women were their clothes would envelop them in flames.

"I must stop my boat!" thought d.i.c.k, desperately.

Then a brilliant idea came to him. He gave one look at the whirring fly-wheel of the motor. Then, seizing a heavy monkey wrench he opened the jaws and fastened it on a boat hook, so that it stood at right angles to it. Then he thrust the wrench right into the fly-wheel.

There was a grinding, cras.h.i.+ng sound, and, a moment later, the whizzing wheel spokes had caught the wrench, and, with resistless force, had driven it through the bottom of the craft.

d.i.c.k had scuttled his own boat!

CHAPTER XIV

d.i.c.k GIVES A PARTY.

Lurching to one side, as the water rushed in through the ragged hole in the bottom, the boat, with d.i.c.k in it, began to lose headway. The water acted as a brake, and, so large was the opening the wrench had torn, that, in a few seconds, all danger was past of the burning boat colliding with other craft, the steersmen of which were too bewildered to get out of the course.

Foot by foot the scuttled boat sank. The water covered the engine now, but the motor still kept going, for enough gasolene remained in the pipe running from the exploded tank to keep it in motion. But the boat was merely floating along, all speed gone.

"Jump, d.i.c.k!" cried Bricktop, who, with the other boys, was swimming toward sh.o.r.e. "Jump!"

d.i.c.k stood up in the boat he had sacrificed to save the lives of others.

The water was up to his knees, and, casting a look about him, he prepared to leap overboard. There was no further need of his remaining, as his brave deed had accomplished what he intended it should.

But now a new danger was presented. The blazing gasolene, forced from the bottom of the boat by the rising water that came through the jagged hole, was floating on the surface of the lake. All about the sinking craft was a pool of flame, ten feet in diameter.

A cry of horror arose from those in the surrounding boats that had quickly congregated near the scene. The gathering dusk was lighted up by the licking tongues of flame, which hissed hungrily, as though angry at being cheated of their prey.

"Wait!" called a man in a large motor boat. "I'll see if I can't get near enough to save you."

He started to steer his craft toward d.i.c.k, but the latter cried out:

"No! Keep away. The gasolene is spreading! I'll jump!"

He was standing on the gunwale of the boat now, that part alone being above water. The motor had stopped, and the boat was floating amid a small sea of flame. In just the little patch where d.i.c.k stood there was, for the present, at least, no fire.

d.i.c.k crouched for a spring. He saw a place where the surrounding ring of flame was the thinnest, and he aimed for that. He was going to try to jump across the belt of fire.

Suddenly he straightened up. Then, with a spring, which lost much of its power because of the uncertain footing the tilting gunwale gave him, he launched himself upward and outward.

Arching his hands over his head to cleave the water, and hoping in his heart that he would clear the ring of flames, d.i.c.k felt himself moving through the air. Then, with a sudden change in the little breeze that was blowing, the flames s.h.i.+fted so that they were wider in extent at the place for which he aimed. Those in the outer fringe of motor boats caught their breaths as they saw what had happened. d.i.c.k was headed for the center of a leaping ma.s.s of fire.

An instant later he had struck the water, covered with the blazing gasolene, and had disappeared beneath the surface.

"Now to save him, if we can!" cried Captain Bailey, of the large motor boat _Cypress_, as he urged his craft forward. Those in it, as they approached the outer ring of fire, looked at the luridly illuminated waters, anxious to catch the first glimpse of d.i.c.k. A dark body came to the surface. Two hands shot out, and d.i.c.k made an attempt to swim. But he ceased almost as soon as he made the first strokes, and sank back, his head going beneath the waves.

Then sounded a splash from the stern of the boat.

"What was that?" cried Captain Bailey.

"Chandler Norton leaped after him!" was the answer.

And it was Bricktop who, in swimming to sh.o.r.e, had been picked up by the _Cypress_, and who had leaped after d.i.c.k when he saw him sink back.

Bricktop had removed most of his heavy clothing and shoes, and was more prepared than any of the others to attempt a rescue.