were any news.

As she came near the mainmast, there was a sudden veer to the craft, a
snapping, splintering sound, and the mast, with its gear of sail, boom
and gaff crashed over the side, smashing the stout bulwarks.

"Look out, gal!" hoarsely cried Old Jack, and he snatched Alice back
only just in time, for the mast splintered down right in front of her.

With the crash and splintering of the wood, and the breaking of the side
of the schooner, there arose the cry of:

"We're wrecked! We're wrecked!"

CHAPTER XXII

"MUTINY!"

Jack Jepson's first thought was to get Alice to a place of safety.

"You shouldn't have come up!" he shouted in her ear, as he fairly
carried her along the sloping deck. He had to shout to be heard above
the roar of the wind, the pounding of the broken mast against the side
of the schooner, and the swish of the salt water whipped into spray by
the powerful gale.

Jack set Alice down at the head of the companionway, and indicated by
gestures, rather than words, that she was to go below. As she descended
the sloping stairs, holding to the rope rail to prevent stumbling, she
saw Captain Brisco spring forward. Whatever else he was, the commander
did not shrink from any emergency.

"Cut away that mast!" he cried. "She'll have us stove in if we don't cut
her loose!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" answered Jack.

He and several other sailors had seized axes as soon as the result of
the crash was seen, and now sprang to the broken bulwarks, over which
the mainmast lay, the jagged end of it in the water, pounding against
the side of the schooner at every roll, and threatening to punch a hole
in her as a battering ram punctures a wall.

"Strike hard, men!" called Jack, and the sound of their axes followed.
Ropes were severed with a blow, but the wire shrouds were tougher, and
it was not until several minutes had passed that the mast, with its
tangle of sails and ropes, was chopped free to float away on the crest
of a billow.

"Get up the mizzen storm sail!" ordered Captain Brisco. "She's falling
off!"

The schooner was indeed in danger of wallowing in the trough of the big
waves.

Pausing only for a moment, the sailors who had labored so valiantly at
cutting loose the broken mast, sprang to get more sail on the craft. She
was deprived of the reefed, or shortened, one that had been on the stick
which was now overboard, and the jib was not enough to hold her head to
the waves.

"What is it