ry, get to your engines, and give me all the steam you can,
while the others bale the boat clear of all that water. Now, you four
men," he went on, "I am going to ask you to help me in a very dangerous
task. I am not going to leave this ship with my duty unfinished. I
intend to torpedo her, at all hazards! Cut loose that spar at once, and
we will place it along the boom in such a way that the torpedo touches
this ship's side. I will then cut a short length of fuse, and attach it
to the explosive, so that it will burn for about a minute. That will
just give us time to get out of reach before the powder blows up, and
will not leave the Peruvians sufficient to displace the torpedo. Now
then, grapple hold of the spar, you four men, and stand by to push all
together when I give the word. Be ready, Terry, my boy, to go ahead
with your engines directly we scramble on board, for a second's delay
may mean that we shall all be blown to smithereens. Give me that piece
of fuse, Carlos. There, that has fixed that up," continued Douglas, as
he cut and placed the slow match in the opening provided for it. "Now
then, all together--lift!"

As Jim gave the word the men gripped the spar, lifted it, and pushed it
forward until the pointed barrel-like apparatus at its further extremity
touched the ship's side. The Peruvians up above were by this time aware
of what the Chilians contemplated, and turned all their attention to the
men engaged upon the dangerous task of fixing the spar, thus giving
those in the launch a welcome respite.

But owing to the hulk's high bulwarks and her great amount of "sheer,"
they could not fire directly into Jim's party, and the bullets plugged
harmlessly into the boom about a yard behind the Chilians. Jim then
ordered the men to place all their weight upon the spar, and this having
been done, he clambered nimbly along it until he came to the torpedo.
Then he rearranged the fuse, struck a match and applied it.

There immediately began a violent splutter of sparks, accompanied by a
fizzing noise, and Jim knew that no power on earth could now avert the
imminent explosion. Like a cat he worked his way backwards along the
spar, which bent and heaved under his weight, until presently he stood
once more upon the beam.

"Now, there's no time to waste," gasped Douglas, as the five men stood
in the shelter of the hulk's tall sides. "We must make a rush all
together, and trust to getting aboard the launc