“The car owners around Bayport have sure been breathing easier since that affair was cleared up,” said Biff.
“I don’t think there’ll be any more car thieving for a long time,” Tony declared. “The two sleuths here put a stop to that.”
“We had a good time doing it,” Frank admitted. “I’m rather sorry it’s all over.”
“Never satisfied!” commented Biff.
He prodded the wheel with his foot and the Envoy swung about with its nose pointing down the bay. Barmet Bay, three miles long, opened on the Atlantic, and in the distance the boys could see a motor yacht that ran daily between Bayport and one of the towns on the coast, a trim little passenger craft that was proceeding toward them at a fast clip.
“Where are you going?” shouted Tony.
“Out to meet the passenger boat.”
“Race you!”
“So will we!” called Frank.
Biff abandoned his indolent posture and settled down to take advantage of his head start. His boat leaped ahead with a roar. Tony Prito had to make a half turn before he could get under way.
The Hardy boys were similarly unprepared, but they had no doubt of the ability of the Sleuth to overhaul Biff’s boat quickly. Their craft was one of the speediest in the bay, with smooth lines and a powerful engine.
They had trouble on the turn, for the swells of the other boats caught the Sleuth and put it off its course, and by the time the craft was nosing in pursuit, Biff Hooper had a good lead and Tony Prito was also ahead of them.
“Step on it!” said Joe.
Frank stepped on it, and the Sleuth began eating up the intervening distance. Rocking and swaying, prow well out of the water, the boat overhauled the Napoli and Frank grinned at Tony as they crept by. Their friend was getting every ounce of speed of which his engine was capable and although he jockeyed to try to put the Hardy boys off the course, they sped on and soon left him behind.
Biff had been tinkering with the engine of his craft and had evidently made a few improvements, for the Envoy was going along at a clip it had never before achieved.
“Looks as if he intends to put one over on us,” muttered Frank, as he opened up the engine to the last notch. “He’ll beat us to the boat at this rate.”
The motor yacht was about a mile away.
On through the water plunged the Sleuth, gaining slowly but surely on the craft ahead.
Once in a while Biff cast a hasty glance backward to wave mockingly at them. He misjudged an approaching wave on one of these occasions and the Envoy swerved; he lost valuable seconds righting the craft into its course again and the Sleuth gained.
The yacht was about a quarter of a mile distant when the Sleuth at last pulled up beside the other boat. Inch by inch it forged ahead until the bow of each boat was on a line with the other. Then the Sleuth’s greater speed became manifest as it pulled away, leaving Biff shaking his head in exasperation.
Suddenly Joe, who had been looking at the passenger yacht in the distance, gave a shout of alarm.
“Look!” he cried.
Frank glanced up just in time to see an immense puff of black smoke bursting from above the deck of the yacht. Then, across the waves, was borne to their ears the roar of an explosion.
They could see figures running about on the deck of the boat. One of them, a woman, ran directly to the rail and began to clamber up on it.
“What on earth—” gasped Joe.
“She’s going overboard!”
Another figure ran out, making a frantic grab at the woman who was balanced perilously on top of the rail. Then, her arms outspread, the woman jumped. The boys saw her plunge down the side of the yacht, and there was a splash as she hurtled into the water.
A moment later she emerged and they could see her swimming about and waving her arms. The Sleuth had drawn closer to the yacht in the meantime and now the boys could hear a faint cry for help.
Tensely, Frank leaned over the wheel. Great clouds of smoke were pouring from the yacht.
“We’ll have to rescue her!” he said. “It’s her only chance.”
The yacht had passed the woman by now, and although a life-buoy had been flung out it was some distance away from her. Hampered by her wet clothes, the woman was making no progress toward it. Slowly, the yacht began to circle, but the lads saw that it would never reach her in time.
The Sleuth ploughed on through the waves.
The boys saw the woman throw up her hands with a despairing gesture and disappear beneath the surface.
II
The Rescue
As the Hardy boys sped toward the woman, who appeared above the surface again in a moment and began to struggle wildly, they saw that confusion prevailed on board the yacht.
Great clouds of smoke were pouring from amidship. People were running frantically about the deck. Efforts were being made to lower a lifeboat, but apparently something went wrong, for it sagged perilously and then stuck, with two sailors working hastily to release it.
But the boys’ immediate concern was the woman. She disappeared beneath the water again and they were fearful that she had gone under for the last time. Then, as the Sleuth surged forward, they saw her emerge once more. They were close enough now to see her frightened face, and, as the Sleuth sped within a few yards of her, Joe poised himself and dived.
He plunged into the water just as the woman was going down for the third time. He kept cool and, remembering
