ntaneously through his
mind, and a few moments only elapsed between Mike's words and his being
safe upon the other side; while now, as he stood thus, after leaving
ample room for his companion, the strain upon his nerves seemed to be
greater, for he had to try and see Mike's movements, and listen in agony
to the faint rustling sound he made.

Poor Mike had a harder test of his courage than that which had fallen to
Vince's lot; for as by instinct he took the same means of getting by the
obstacle as the former, and was standing with arms outstretched, the man
made a sudden movement and growled out some tongue-blundered word, at
the same time raising his head and striking Mike's chin slightly, to
make the boy's teeth go together with a sharp click.

"It's all over," thought Vince. But he was wrong: the man settled his
head down again in a more satisfactory position, and uttered a low,
grumbling sigh of resting weariness.

Then Mike was alongside of his partner in the flight, and they edged
themselves rapidly along to the foremast shrouds--so short a distance,
but to them, with their nerves on the strain, so far.

Now came another heart-compressing question to Vince. The boat, when
Joe Daygo arrived, had been made fast a short distance in front of the
foremast: was it there now?

A strange hesitation came over the lad; he did not like to pass beyond
the fore-chains to test this, for he felt that if it had been removed
and hoisted on board the disappointment would be so keen as to be almost
unbearable, for to let it down unheard would be impossible; but once
more mastering himself he passed on, holding by the light shrouds which
gave at his touch, and then began to run his hand once more along the
bulwark to feel the line, which had been passed over and twisted to and
fro over one of the belaying pins.

No--no--no.

_Yes_!

There it was, and as he grasped it the boat answered to his touch as it
swung alongside and grazed softly against the copper sheathing.

"Got it?" was whispered.

"Yes;" and Vince's hand went to his pocket for his knife, as his busy,
overstrung brain asked why it was that they had not been searched and
their knives taken away.

But he did not withdraw the knife, for he found that it would be easy
enough to cast the rope loose, and he turned to Mike.

"Down with you!" he said.

"No: you first."

A noise as of a heavy blow.

A savage yell, followed by a scuffling sound from where the s