DINGHIES

"Man overboard, off the port boom!"

"Stand by the falls. Whaleboat number one!" cried the officer of the
deck.

"What's this, what's this?" shouted the captain, running to the deck in
his pajamas.

"Two men leaving ship in the port dinghy, sir," answered the officer of
the deck.

"Step lively there, lads. What does all this mean, Mr. Officer of the
deck?"

"I don't know, sir. The anchor watch discovered that there was
something wrong. He's gone after them, sir."

By this time the captain was leaning over the port rail, training his
night glasses on the dark sea.

"I make them out. Who is the anchor watch?"

"Seaman Davis, sir."

"You say the lad went after them?"

"Yes, sir, so it seems."

"How?"

"He must have gone over the side, for someone just called man
overboard."

"The boy will be drowned! Have you ordered any one after him?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hurry, lads. The man may be drowning."

Meantime, Dan was doing his best to overtake the fugitives. The moment
he struck the water he threw out his hands to check his descent. This
prevented his going under very far. He shot up, and, shaking the water
from nose and eyes, struck out for the dinghy that was still moored to
the port boom.

He was clambering into the boat within the next minute. His knife,
attached to the knife lanyard, was in his hands almost the instant he
pulled himself into the boat. One swift stroke severed the line that
held the dinghy to the boom.

Dan sprang to the oars; throwing them into place in the locks, he sent
the little boat through the water with long, swift strokes.

"Dinghy number two, there!" shouted a voice from the deck.

"Aye, aye, sir," answered Dan.

"You all right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Better come back. The whaleboats will overhaul the other dinghy."

"The whaleboats are on the other side of the ship. By the time they
get around here the men will be out of sight. I'm under orders to get
them, sir," answered the plucky lad, putting more force into his
strokes.

His frail little boat cut the water with a swish and a splash, as the
swells slapped its sides, sending showers of spray over him.

Dan now and then turned in his seat, to get the location of the other
boat. He could but faintly make it out in the gloom of the night. He
was unable to say, as yet, whether he were gaining on the fugitives or
not. If he were gaining, it was but slowly.

The whaleboats had not yet rounded