instruments.

"I'll have it ready for you in a minute," replied Peter, sitting
down to a table, and beginning to dash off words and sentences as
fast as his pencil could fly.

"I can't hold any wire for you," said the operator. "If you have any
press stuff to file let me have it. That's the only way you can keep
a wire."

"I'll have it for you in a second," Peter replied as he looked
anxiously at the door.

"That will not answer. I must have copy in order to keep the wire
busy."

"Here it is!" cried Larry, as he entered at that moment and pulled
from his pocket his hastily written account of the wreck, including
the list of passengers. "I'll be obliged to you if you can get this
off to the New York _Leader_ as soon as possible."

"I was here first!" angrily cried Peter.

"But I have his copy first," the operator said. "It is the filing of
the despatch first that counts, not who gets here first. I'll get
this off right away for you," he added, turning to Larry.

And thus it was that Larry got his scoop, for his account took so
long to telegraph that, when the operator began on Peter's, the
_Leader_ had the story in the office, and was preparing to get out
an extra.

CHAPTER VI

A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE

Remaining only long enough to see that the operator got off the
first part of his story, and finding, on inquiry, that the
telegrapher had no difficulty in reading his writing, Larry started
back to the scene of the wreck. He wanted to learn if all the
passengers and crew were saved, and get an interview with the
captain, if he could.

So he left his old enemy, Peter, there grinding out his story in no
pleasant frame of mind. But it was part of the game, and Larry's
"beat" was a cleanly-scored one, especially as Peter had tried to
win by a trick.

The young reporter found the work of rescue almost completed. The
life savers had labored to good advantage and had brought nearly all
the passengers ashore in the breeches buoy. They were cared for
temporarily at the beach station, though the small quarters were
hardly adequate.

With the bringing ashore of the crew and officers, the captain
coming last, the life savers found their work finished. And it was
only just in time, for, not more than an hour after the commander
had staggered up the beach, worn and exhausted by the strain and
exposure, the after part of the vessel slid from the bar and sank in
deep water.

Larry, who had been introduced