Hearing the noise of the engines as they approached the top of the hill, Reuben and Phil started to run. As they reached the summit they stared down, scouring the waters surrounding them. At first they saw no sign of life, no movement, but then from out of the shadow of the eastern cliffs emerged the fibreglass hulled launch. Of Tracy's vintage wooden boat there was no sign.
"That's the boat on the camcorder!" Reuben exclaimed breathlessly. "Do you think they have seen Arthur and Tracy?"
Phil looked towards the mainland and shook his head. "I don't know how long it took us to climb the hill, but it was a fair while. They should be well on the way by now."
Reuben looked back towards the motorboat. It appeared to be listing drunkenly in the water and even as they looked the engine died and the boat glided to a halt. There were two men aboard. One of them appeared to be pumping away frantically at a hand operated bilge pump, whilst the helmsman, a tall man, had left the controls and was peering over the side.
"They're sinking!" he observed. "They've hit a rock or something! Not surprising really, the noise they were making, they must have been going far too fast for safety that close to the land."
"Do you think they can swim?" Phil's face was grim. "It's a fair old haul to the cove."
The tall helmsman kicked off his shoes and jumped into the water. Breaking the surface he turned to face the boat and appeared to be shouting to the second man who was still pumping away in a desperate attempt to keep the boat afloat. By now the water was lapping over the deck. He may as well have been King Canute trying to hold back the tide.
Reuben could not hear what the swimmer was shouting but he realised that the second man was very reluctant to leave the sinking vessel.
"I don't think he can!" he remarked. "If he doesn't leave the boat soon he'll be taken down with it!"
"No he won't" Phil replied. "There's enough inbuilt buoyancy to keep the hull afloat even if it's full of water."
"Yes, but does he know that?"
Even as he spoke the man on the boat gave up his desperate attempts at the pump and jumped into the water. He disappeared under the surface and for a long while it seemed as if he would never come up. When eventually he reappeared he was waving his arms about madly. The tall man swam towards him, remaining out of reach of the flailing limbs. As his struggling companion sank again into the water he darted in and grasped his head in a classic life-saving position. With a sidestroke kick he began to head towards the shore.
"The canoes!" Phil was already running down the hillside. "He'll need all the help he can get!"
Stopping hastily at the tents to pick up paddles and spraydecks, Reuben and Phil manhandled the kayaks over the rocks of the cove and dragged them into the water. Later Reuben could never understand how they had not broken the boats or their legs in that mad dash. Within seconds the two canoes were skimming across the three hundred odd metres that separated them from the sinking launch.
"Grab the toggle!" Phil was first on the scene and called to the rescuer. The tall man was already showing signs of fatigue. Between them they dragged the limp body of his companion across the front of Phil's boat. He had not completely lost consciousness and now hugged the canoe for dear life. Phil turned and headed towards the shore. The tall man now grasped the rear toggle of Reuben's boat and slowly they followed, the streamlined shape held back by the drag of the exhausted swimmer.
Back on land the two men sat on the ground, a picture of dejection, pale faced and panting from the rigours of their experience. Phil fetched blankets from the tents and these were accepted with gratitude. Reuben lit the gas stove to brew some tea, putting several spoons of sugar in two of the mugs. The swimmer must have been well over six foot six; powerfully built with dark hair and a neat moustache, but hunched up in that blanket with a steaming mug of tea he showed no semblance of that stature.
His companion was a little shorter and plumper, with a balding patch that even now he attempted to cover by sweeping the hair across from one side of his head. Despite the warmth of the weather both men shivered.
"Well now! I think there's a little explaining needs to go on here, don't you?" Phil grinned at the pitiful pair. "You're both a little old to be playing at James Bond don't you know!"
"That's enough of the wisecracks!" The big man had regained enough energy to be annoyed.
"Well that's a fine way to talk to someone who has just saved your skin!" Phil retained the twinkle in his eyes.
"Point taken!" he acknowledged grudgingly. "But don't expect me to be full of sweetness and light. That's a lot of boat I just lost there."
Reuben was confused. In all the cloak and dagger stories he had read goodies were goodies and baddies were baddies. You helped the goodies and had as little as possible to do with the baddies. You certainly didn't rescue them. But you couldn't let real people drown, no matter what side they were on.