oming, and braced himself. Hank was caught by the
rush of waters; he would have been swept overboard, but Halstead
grabbed at one of his ankles, holding on grimly.

At that moment the late prisoner, Jasper, saw what was happening.
Projecting himself forward over the raised deck, he, too, caught hold
of Hank Butts, while Powell Seaton held to Jasper.

It was a sort of human chain by which Hank was pulled to safety. Tom,
throughout the excitement, held the "thin line" in one hand.

"Haul in this thin line, quickly," shouted the young commander, who
could barely make himself heard above the tumult of the gale.

As the line was some four hundred feet long, it used up precious
moments to haul it and coil up the slack. As the last of the "thin
line" came into their hands there came with it the first of a stouter
hawser, the two lines being knotted securely together.

"Hold on to me, now! Form a chain again," ordered Skipper Tom. "I'll
make the hawser fast forward."

All this while the Havana liner, some four hundred feet away, was
going through a complicated bit of manoeuvering under the hands of her
officers. Alternately she moved at half-speed-ahead, at stop, or on
the reverse, in order that, despite the high-rolling waves, she might
not go too far ahead and snap the thin line. But now young Halstead
soon had a stout hitch about the towing bitt at the bow. A few more
turns, then he signaled to those behind holding him to help him back
to the bridge deck. A dozen great waves had rolled over him on that
smooth raised deck, but the members of the human chain hauled him back
to safety.

"Signal to our friends that they can apply full speed ahead, Joe, if
they want to," directed the young motor boat captain, briefly, as he
reached the comparative safety of the bridge deck once more.

Over the noise of the gale the answering blast from the liner's
whistle came to them as a far-away sound. But now the big boat ahead
started on at a ten-knot speed.

"Gracious, but this seems good, once more!" glowed Tom Halstead,
taking over the wheel as the towing hawser tautened and the "Restless"
began to move forward under a headway that could be controlled and
directed.

"We couldn't have stood this racket much longer, without a tow,"
chattered Joe. "I've had moments at the wheel, to-night, when, on
account of our helplessness, I've felt sure we were going to 'turn
turtle.'"

"What ails your jaws, old fellow?" demanded Tom, looki