nd. "_Ach du meine zeit!_
Say, somepody sthop dot! I vos purn mineselluf ub alretty!"

"Swing it around quicker!" cried Dick.

"Turn it in the shape of a figure eight!" suggested Fred.

"Loop the loop with it," came from Sam.

Around and around went the Roman candle and then bang! out shot a ball,
hitting one of the masts of the steam yacht. Then bang! went another
ball, hitting the top of the cabin.

"Hold it up straighter, Hans!" said Songbird. "Don't shoot somebody."

"If I hold him ub I burn mineselluf worser!" groaned the German youth.
"Here, you dake him, Sam, I got enough."

"No, no, Hans, I won't deprive you of the pleasure of shooting it off,"
answered the youngest Rover, and skipped out of the way.

[Illustration: HANS WAS HOPPING AROUND LIKE A MADMAN.]

One after another the balls, red, white and blue, poured from the Roman
candle. It was a pretty sight, but Hans' aim was more than bad, and one
hit the bow and another the stern, while a third whizzed past Dick's
ear. In the meantime Hans was hopping around like a madman, trying to
keep the sparks from his skin.

"Throw it overboard!" cried Mr. Rover, who was enjoying the fun, but
who was afraid somebody might get a fire ball in the face.

"Only a few more balls left," said Tom. "Hans, try to hit the top of
the mast--don't point it downward."

The German youth was too excited to listen to the advice. He continued
to dance around. Bang! went another ball and entered the cabin of the
steam yacht. Bang! came the final one and that too disappeared into the
interior of the craft Then the Roman candle went out, and Hans breathed
a sigh of relief.

"I vos glat dot is ofer," he said. "No more firevorks for me, not on
your kollarbuttons, no!"

"I hope they didn't do any damage in the cabin----" began Mrs. Stanhope
anxiously, when there came a cry from Aleck Pop.

"Stop dat fire from comin' down!" yelled the colored man. "De hull
cabin's in a blaze!"

CHAPTER XV

THE SAILING OF THE STEAM YACHT

The announcement made by Aleck Pop filled all on board the steam yacht
with consternation, and while Hans still nursed his arm and wrist the
other boys, with Anderson Rover and Captain Barforth, rushed down the
companionway.

A glance showed them what was the matter. One of the balls of fire had
struck a curtain and ignited the flimsy material. The fire was now
dropping down on some fireworks Tom had left on a chair. Just as they
entered a pinwhee