ng was ready. Only Jim, Juarez and the engineer were
left upon the derelict, with old Pete ready at the oars to pull away
as soon as the men should jump into the boat after firing the fuses.

"Already for'ard!" yelled Jim.

"Ready," came Juarez's reply.

They touched the long fuse and then ran and stepped lightly into the
boat. Pete dug the oars into the water and away the boat leapt towards
the _Sea Eagle_. She had cleared the derelict about a hundred feet,
when with two dull shaking thuds, and a glare of red light at either
end, the derelict was blown to destruction, and pieces of broken
timber fell all about the boat. Some pieces fell even on the deck of
the _Sea Eagle_. In a few minutes the broken hull had sunk below the
dark waters of the Pacific. The work had been well done.

Two days later the _Sea Eagle_ turned from the windy channel into her
own harbor on the southern coast of California with the flag flying,
and as the anchor chain rattled down into the quiet water, there came
a salute from the two cannon on the upper deck. Then Jim turned and
gripped the hand of his old friend.

"Here you are at home, Captain. Now it's for the Lost Mine, boys."

"And good luck to you," said the old captain heartily. "I and the _Sea
Eagle_ will be here when you return."

The boys at parting gave three rousing cheers.

CHAPTER XVI

AN EXCITING CHARGE

It was indeed a beautiful morning, with the sun shining with a clarity
that is characteristic only of the higher altitudes. There was quite a
procession coming up the steep mountain trail. As yet they could not
be made out distinctly, as they were so far down the mountain side.
Then they were lost to view in one of the folds of the slope.

"I wonder whom those tenderfeet are?" The voice came from a man who
was crouching behind a granite boulder. He had been watching the
approaching party intently for some time. "One thing, sartain,"
the voice continued, "them fellars will find trouble if they keep
traveling in this neck of the woods."

The speaker was not a prepossessing-looking party. He was of squat
figure, very strongly built. His face and neck burned to a brick red.
His shirt of a nondescript color was open at the neck, exposing a
hairy throat. A rifle was gripped firmly in one powerful paw, and
there was a knife and pistol in his belt.

He was an ugly-looking customer, and it was evident that his mission
was not a peaceful one. Once more he took a look