Welch came up again. His struggles were feebler, and he gasped for breath with a painful sound. Merriwell half lifted himself. The canoe began to rock, and Bart exclaimed: “You can’t dive over without upsetting me!” Taking hold of the frail craft in a certain manner, Merry lifted himself with both hands, and swung himself fairly over the stern end. Had he gone over the side, he must have overturned the canoe, but he dropped into the water with a splash, and the light craft remained upright. It was a skillful trick, and it astonished Hodge, who was more than half expecting to be capsized. As Frank struck the water, Welch sank again. “He’s gone down, Merry!” cried Bart. Frank struck out with powerful strokes, reached the spot where Welch had disappeared, and then dived beneath the surface. The man who was clinging to the overturned boat had begun to swim, pushing it toward the shore, some distance below the mass of water reeds behind which they had been concealed. Hodge paid no attention to boat or man, but he waited with the greatest anxiety for Frank to come to the surface. With the paddle, he moved the canoe somewhat nearer the spot where Merry had dived beneath the water. Frank came up directly, and he had a hold upon the drowning lad, but Welch had twisted his legs about Frank with a grip that hampered Frank’s movements. In vain Merry tried to break away. It seemed that Welch had fastened upon him with a death grip. “Can I help you?” asked Hodge, anxiously, as he saw Merry struggling in the water, sometimes sinking beneath the surface. “What’s the matter?” “This fellow—has—his legs—twisted about mine!” panted Frank. “Confound him! He wants to drown us both!” Bart worked nearer with the canoe. “Hit him on the head, Frank!” he cried. “Hit him quick and hard! Don’t let him pull you under like that!” But Merry fought till he broke away from the half-unconscious Welch, which caused him to utter an exclamation of satisfaction. “I’m all right now,” he said. “Can you get him ashore?” “Yes.” “Well, I will keep close, so that I can give you some help, if you need it. Don’t drown yourself trying to save him.” “We must save him, Hodge,” said Frank, as he swam toward the distant beach, supporting Welch. “It would not do for us to let him drown after——” “After he tried to shoot us!” grated Bart. “Oh, that is like you, Merriwell! You are ready to risk your own life for an enemy who has done you any kind of injury! I’m not built that way! My enemies can look out for themselves!” Frank said nothing, for he was thoroughly occupied in the task of reaching the shore, and he could make but slow progress, burdened as he was. Hodge paddled along, watching Frank anxiously. “Let me hold the fellow’s head above the surface a few moments, while you rest, Frank,” he urged. “No,” said Merry. “Can’t take chances of his overturning you. I’m all right. Keep on.”