was quickly explained to him, and he readily
consented that his swift little schooner should run in to the Hook and
send despatches for help. He also said they should be only too proud to
have the ladies come aboard.

Without further delay Mrs. Coburn and Ruth, with their baggage, were
placed in the ship's long-boat, lowered over the side, and in a few
minutes were safe on the deck of the pilot-boat, which seemed to Ruth
almost as small as Mark's canoe in comparison with the big ship they
had just left.

As soon as they were on board, the schooner spread her white wings and
stood in for Sandy Hook, while the ship was headed towards the "Swash
Channel."

As she passed the Romer Beacon Captain May saw the pilot-boat coming
out from behind the Hook, and knew the despatches had been sent. When
his ship was off the Hospital Islands he saw the revenue-cutter
steaming down through the Narrows towards them, trailing a black cloud
behind her, and evidently making all possible speed.

By this time little eddies of smoke were curling up from around the
closely battened hatches, and Captain May saw that the ship could not
live to reach the upper bay, and feared she would be a mass of flames
before the fire-boat could come to her relief. In this emergency he
told the pilot that he thought they had better leave the channel and
run over on the flats towards the Long Island shore, so as to be
prepared to scuttle her.

"Ay, ay, Cap; I can put her just wherever you want her. Only give the
word," answered the pilot.

"I do give it," said Captain May, as a cloud of smoke puffed out from
the edge of one of the hatches. "Put her there, for she'll be ablaze
now before many minutes."

As the ship's head was turned towards the flats the revenue-cutter ran
alongside. Her captain, followed by a dozen bluejackets, boarded the
ship, and the former, taking in her desperate situation at a glance,
said to Captain May, "You must scuttle her at once, captain; it's your
only chance to save her."

"Very well, sir," answered Captain May. "I think so myself, but am glad
to have your authority for doing so."

As the ship's anchors were let go, her carpenter and a squad of men
from the cutter, armed with axes and augurs, tumbled down into her
cabin, and began what seemed like a most furious work of destruction.
The axes crashed through the carved woodwork, furniture was hurled to
one side, great holes were cut in the cabin floor, and the ship's