ed Jack. "We surely struck something solid.
I hope we don't hit it again like that first crack!"

"Look here, boys!" cried Ned in alarm. "The motion of this ship is much
less than it was a minute ago! Notice it?"

"It surely is!" agreed Jack. "Is the wind going down?"

"We are getting into some sort of shelter," guessed Harry. "Probably von
Kluck has navigated the schooner behind a breakwater."

"Boys, the ship is sinking!" shouted Ned. "See the water coming into this
cabin! We've struck a floating mine!"

In alarm the boys sprang to their feet. As Ned had said, the motion was
lessening rapidly. They found little difficulty now in keeping their
footing without support. With one accord they made a break for the
companionway, crowding out in a body.

The sight that met their gaze brought consternation to every heart. The
schooner lay head to the wind. The mainsail had been set with a double
reef, to help keep the vessel in that position. The seas seemed
alarmingly higher than when they had been last on deck.

This was due, of course, to the difference in perspective, owing to the
fact that they were fast settling into the water.

Above the stern clung traces of heavy, black smoke. A disagreeable odor
pervaded the atmosphere in spite of the strong wind.

"There goes von Kluck and the crew!" shouted Harry, pointing to leeward.
"They're scared to death. That mine settled them!"

A short distance away the boys could see the larger of the two boats that
had been carried by the schooner. In it were the members of the crew,
accompanied by the captain and the mate.

Tossed about by the angry waters the little shell seemed about to be
engulfed at any moment. However, skillful hands were at the oars. Rising
and falling, now on top of a wave, now out of sight, the boat soon put
considerable distance between the two parties.

"Well, Great Frozen Hot Boxes!" exclaimed Jimmie in disgust. "What do you
know about that? They've gone and left us!"

"And the ship is settling fast!" cried Ned, in alarm. "We'd better get
busy if we don't want to go down with it!"

"What can we do?" asked Harry. "The boat's gone!"

"Suppose we try to patch up the leak," suggested Jimmie. "Maybe we could
keep the old tub afloat until the storm dies down!"

"No chance!" decided Ned. "Von Kluck and his crew would have done that if
they could. We'd better get busy!"

"What's the matter with using the small boat at the stern?"

"That's a good i