and you were struck by this drift. I heard you, and felt the
shock when you struck. I reached out and got hold of you--and here you
are?"

"Yes, here--and where is that?"

"In the Atlantic, somewhere off New York. I doubt if the captain knew."

"What became of the rest of the crowd?"

"Don't know. That collision threw me clean over the rail. I fell near
these boards. I don't know but they came from the barge. When I came up,
I bumped against them, and then hung on and began to call for help."

There was a moment of silence. Both were listening. Whistles could be
heard here and there. Off to the left somewhere they fancied they heard
a voice calling, but whether it came from the deck of a vessel or from
some unfortunate in the water they could not determine. Near and far the
whistles of steamers and tugs were hoarsely bellowing.

"With so many vessels around, we ought to be picked up soon," said
Hodge.

"We would be, if any one could see anything. But a boat would have to
run right over us to find us. Hark! wasn't that rowlocks?"

Again they listened. The sound of oars was certainly heard.

Clug-clank, clug-clank, clug-clank.

"Let us call together," said Merry. "Now! As loud as you can."

Both shouted with all their might. For an instant they fancied the boat
was coming toward them, and they shouted again. But it was almost
impossible to determine the direction of sound. They could not
themselves be sure of the direction of the boat. The "clug-clank" grew
fainter and fainter.

"We're bound to be picked up soon," Merriwell cheerily declared. "We
must be right in the track of vessels. We'd be picked up right away if
it wasn't for this beastly fog."

Hodge was silent.

"What do you suppose has become of the others? They were right with us,
you know, when we went over!"

"I'm afraid to think about it," said Frank, with a shudder, which was
not caused by the chill of the water.

"I can't help thinking about it!"

"Nor I. But I'm hoping we were the only ones that went overboard. We
must try to believe that, Bart, until we cannot believe it any longer."

Hodge was silent.

"And as for ourselves!"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of ourselves," said Bart. "We can hang on here a
good while, I think. I suppose we're being carried out to sea, though!"

"Not much doubt of that, I guess. But we've pulled through worse scrapes
together, Bart!"

"That's right, Merry! And we'll pull through this. Are you up high
en