of Mull," returned Robin.

"Better if it was further away," growled Captain Rik, who overheard the
remark. "We want plenty of sea-room on a night like this."

"We've got sea-room enough," observed "Captain" Slagg, with the
confidence of a man who knows well what he is about, as he stood by the
tiller, balancing himself with his legs well apart.

"You've got a lightning conductor on the mast, of course?" observed
Captain Rik to Sam.

"No," replied Sam.

"Sam!" exclaimed the captain in a tone of intense surprise, "you, of all
men, without such a safeguard."

"Well, uncle Rik," replied Sam with a laugh, "yachts are not always
fitted with conductors. But I'm not so bad as you think me. I had
ordered a special conductor with some trifling novelties of construction
for the yacht, but it was not ready when we started, so we had to sail
without it. However, it is not once in a thousand times that a vessel
is struck by lightning."

While Sam was yet speaking, a flash of lightning almost blinded them,
and the little schooner received a shock which told of disaster. Next
moment the roar of reverberating thunder drowned the crash of timber as
the topmast went overboard, carrying the bowsprit and its gear along
with it.

Fortunately no one was hurt, but the schooner became unmanageable, owing
to the mass of wreckage which hung to her.

Jim Slagg, seizing an axe, sprang to the side to cut this away, ably
seconded by all the men on board, but before it could be accomplished
the Gleam had drifted dangerously near to the rocks on the coast of
Mull. To add to the confusion, the darkness became intense.

Captain Rik, forgetting or ignoring his years, had thrown off his coat
and was working like a hero with the rest. The ladies, unable to remain
below, were clinging to the stern rails, Madge holding her little boy
tightly in her arms, and the spray dashing wildly over all.

Another moment and the Gleam struck on the rocks with tremendous
violence. Only by the lightning could they see the wild rocky shore, on
which they had drifted.

Instinctively each member of the little crew drew towards those nearest
and dearest.

"Get out the boat!" shouted Captain Slagg; but the men could not obey,
for a heavy sea had anticipated them, and the little dinghy was already
careering shoreward, bottom up.

The next wave lifted the Gleam like a cork, and let her down on the
rocks like fifty-six tons of lead. A flash of lightning r