"Steer so as to pick him up!" Tom cried to Ned, who was at the
wheel. "Pass by him on a curve, and, as soon as I grab him, put
the wheel over so as to get out from under the balloon."
It was a risky thing to do, but our hero had it all planned out.
He made a loop of the boat's painter, and, hurrying to the bow,
leaned over as far as he could, holding the rope in readiness.
His idea was to have the balloonist grab the strands and be pulled
out of danger by the speedy motor-boat, for the blazing canvas
would cover such an extent of water that the man could not have
swum out of the danger zone in time.
Down shot the balloonist and down more slowly settled the
collapsed bag, yet not so slowly that there was any time to spare.
It needed only a few seconds to drop over the performer, to burn
and smother him.
Into the water splashed the man, disappearing from sight as when a
stick is dropped in, point first. Ned was alert and steered the
boat to the side in which the man's face was, for he concluded
that the aeronaut would strike out in that direction when he came
up. The ARROW was now directly under the blazing balloon and
cries of fear from the watchers on shore urged upon Tom and his
companions the danger of their position. But they had to take
some risk to rescue the man.
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