re
continually heard. The steamer was nearing New York harbor.

"Will you try to run in, captain?" Frank asked.

"Oh I think we can make it. I don't like to anchor out here all night. I
have a pretty good idea of just where we are."

"The fog may lift before night."

The captain looked at his watch, and saw that it indicated nearly three
o'clock.

"I'm afraid not. And likely it will be no better in the morning. I shall
try to go in."

A fog-siren somewhere on the invisible shore was sending out its
unearthly blasts. Then a whistle seemed to cut the gloom right ahead,
and a big black shape loomed through the murk. The _Merry Seas_ sounded
her warning, and the helm was jammed hard a-starboard. Another shriek
came from the phantom that had seemed to rise right out of the sea. With
that shriek, she also swung off.

"I thought we were in for a collision!" said Frank, breathing more
freely. "It will be a squeak as it is."

Elsie had nervously clutched him by the arm. All were moving back from
the dangerous vicinity toward the other rail.

"A tug!" said Bart, who was standing near Merriwell.

The tug, which was a large one, seemed now fairly on top of them. In
size, it was as large or larger than the _Merry Seas_. A collision of
the two vessels would be a serious thing.

"We're going to strike, or scrape!" Frank warned, taking Inza and Elsie
each by an arm. "Brace for it!"

Orders were being given, and the whistles were hoarsely blowing. Both
vessels were still falling off. Some one on the tug bellowed frantically
through a big trumpet.

"What was that?" Inza asked.

"Tows!" said Frank. "Something about tows!"

The tug and the steamer did not strike, though they grazed each other so
closely that a collision seemed unavoidable. Then there was more
bellowing through trumpets and more whistling, and Frank felt the _Merry
Seas_ tremble under him as her engines were reversed. He knew not what
to expect.

Crash!

The big tug, _Gladiator_, had a string of heavily laden barges in tow.
Into one of these barges, in spite of every effort to prevent it, the
bow of the _Merry Seas_ crashed with terrible force. It was as if a
horse should rush headlong against a stone wall.

The shock was terrific. Merriwell heard a sound of smashing timbers and
snapping iron. He was pitched violently from his feet as the bow of the
_Merry Seas_ was forced downward by the collision. He felt himself
flying through the air. Then he st