have his doubts whether it would last long. It was their last chance,
however, for the control of the "Restless."

"Lay along here!" roared Tom, through his hands as a trumpet, when he
saw that they had made the halyards fast. Now he signed to them to
help him haul in on the sheet. Joe, watching, just making out the
white of the canvas through the darkness, threw the wheel over to make
the craft catch the wind. In a few moments more the gale was tugging
against the small spread of canvas, and the "Restless" was once more
under control--while the sail lasted!

All but exhausted, the trio found their way forward. For a brief space
they tumbled below into the motor room, though Halstead stood where he
could see Joe Dawson and spring to his aid when needed.

"Hank," called Halstead, five minutes later, "your trick and mine on
deck. We'll give Joe and Hepton a chance to get their wind below."

Small as was the spread of canvas, Tom found, when he took the wheel,
that the good little "Restless" was plunging stiffly along on her
course. She was a wonderfully staunch little boat. The young sailing
master bewailed his luck in having hardly any gasoline on board. It
should never happen again, he promised himself.

Again? Was there to be any "again"? The motor boat captain was by no
means blind to the fact that the "Restless" hadn't quite an even
chance of weathering this stiff gale. At any moment the sail might go
by the board in ribbons, as the first had done. Hank was not even
watching the sail. If it gave way it must.

Joe presently came on deck for his next trick at the wheel. Hepton was
with him.

"I've been thinking about the prisoner in the starboard stateroom,"
announced Joe. "It's inhuman to leave him there, locked in and
handcuffed, in such a gale. He must be enduring fearful torment."

"Yes," nodded Tom. "I've just been thinking that I must go down and
set him free as soon as I'm relieved."

"Go along, then," proposed young Dawson. "I have the wheel, and Hepton
by me."

Taking Hank Butts with him, Tom Halstead made his way below.

"Dawson was just speaking to me about our prisoner," began Powell
Seaton. "Dawson thinks he ought to be turned loose--at least while
this gale lasts."

"Yes," nodded Captain Halstead. "I'm on my way to do it now."

"Will it be safe?"

"We can't help whether it is, or not," Skipper Tom rejoined. "It's a
humane thing to do, and we'll have to do it."

Powell Seaton did not in