his room, but proceed very cautiously."

Ralph soon made his way back, carrying with him one of the revolvers.
"There are a dozen in the box," he said, "and I brought one over to show
you. You see, it is the kind from which the cylinder can be removed.
Wouldn't it be a good idea to take the cylinders out of all that we
can't use?"

"Capital idea," said the captain. "If you can find any wire, put it
where you can quickly place your hands on it."

"I found a box of ammunition also," continued Ralph, "but I haven't
tried whether it would fit the revolvers."

An examination revealed the fact that the cartridges were not of the
same calibre. It was, indeed, a terrible disappointment.

"Here it is," said Alfred, as he slipped into the door of the room.

"Ah, this is a different size; you have the right ones, fortunately,"
said the captain.

"Now, let me give you a few words as to the next,----"

A pronounced lurch in the vessel's position interrupted the captain. The
seamen were now rushing around frantically, and talking excitedly.

"Hold your tongues!" shouted the sub-lieutenant.

The vessel was, evidently, moving. Occasionally, there would be a heavy,
rasping sound, and the rear end of the boat would seem to settle down a
few feet.

"It's coming all right," said Ralph in excitement.

"Connect forward motor!" again shouted the sub-lieutenant.

The motor turned smoothly without producing a disturbing influence on
the ship, indicating that the propeller was still in the air.

"I fear that the sub-lieutenant does not know his business any too
well," remarked the captain.

CHAPTER VIII

THE NIGHT'S STRUGGLE TO FREE THE VESSEL

The boys wondered at the remark which the captain had made, and were
about to ask him for an explanation, when the electric lights suddenly
died out, and all were left in total darkness. The captain crawled past
the boys and felt his way toward the stern of the vessel.

"The storage batteries!" was all he said.

That there was confusion on the part of the crew of the vessel, was
apparent, for the sub-lieutenant shouted one order after the other,
until he seemed to be incoherent, and, as a result, no one knew what was
expected of him or what to do.

Evidently, the captain knew the trouble and how to remedy it, for within
a minute the lights were again in commission, and the captain was
noticed at the main switch. From that point he shouted to the
sub-lieutenant:

"I found