After what seemed to him hours of struggle, he felt that he could keep up but a few moments more, and a dread fear seized his heart as he gave up hope. He thought not so much of himself, but of the father and mother, who might never know what had happened to him, and the thought nerved him to one more last effort.
"It's no use," he thought, after taking a few feeble strokes, "I can't hold out any longer, I'm so tired."
He tried, but his arms seemed numb and utterly refused to obey his will, and he was about to go under, when he felt himself seized by the collar and in another moment, found himself lying on his back on the bottom of a skiff, gasping for breath.
As he slowly began to recover his strength, he looked up and saw that the boat contained two men, but he was unable to see their faces in the darkness.
"Well, here's a rum go," he heard one of them say.
"Right you are," replied the other. "That chap was about all in, I reckon. Lucky for him we came along when we did."
"He'd sure gone down in another minute," declared the first speaker, "I'd never have seen him, it's so tarnational dark, if I hadn't happened to hit him wid the oar."
"What'll we do with him?" asked the other.
"Dunno, guess we might's well take him to the hole; might have something on him worth while," was the answer.
They evidently thought that the boy was unconscious, and, in fact, so nearly played out was he, that he was unable to speak. The man at the oars, began to row again and soon the light boat was going at a lively pace, as they were rowing with the wind. Shortly, Jack became conscious that they were passing under a wharf, as the pace became slow, and occasionally the boat hit against the piling. The continued in this way for perhaps ten minutes, and then he felt the bottom of the boat grate on the shore.
"See if he's come to, Jake," whispered the man who had been rowing.
His companion reached over and shook him roughly by the arm.
"I'm very much obliged to you for pulling me out," said Jack, weakly. "I sure thought it was all up with me."
"That's all right," said the man in a low voice. "Think ye can stand up?"
"I don't know, but I guess so. I'll try."
Helped by the man, he succeeded in getting to his feet and crawled over the side of the boat to the ground.