It seemed so, for Peter’s boat was now about a quarter of a mile from shore, and Jim was rowing fast. “Shall we swim in or wait until someone comes out and picks us up?” asked Tony. “Might as well stay here,” replied Larry. “It’s hard swimming in your clothes.” His heart was full of bitterness, both at the mean trick Peter had played, and at the thought of being beaten, for he knew that there would not be time for the telegraph operator to send both Peter’s copy and his also in time for the afternoon paper. The _Leader_ would be beaten. “Hark! What’s that?” asked Tony, as they moved about to get better positions in grasping the overturned boat. “Sounded like a whistle,” said Larry. “It was a whistle! A motor boat is coming toward us!” cried Tony. CHAPTER XXXVI LARRY SCORES A BIG BEAT 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.” “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.” “Go ahead then,” said the captain. “I’ll speed her up for all she’s worth.”