get," said Harry,
sharply. "If anything should happen to this boat you would be drowned
like a rat in a trap, in there."

"Pish, pish and tush, tush, what's the use of having a skipper if he is
going to upset his craft? Bert, it is high time the crew mutinied.
What--"

At this moment a big wave struck the bow of the boat and swept her from
stem to stern, filling Mason's open mouth with salt water.

"Skipper," he sputtered, as soon as he could speak, "I confidently
believe you did that on purpose."

"This is not a time for your nonsense, Mason," said Harry, somewhat
sternly.

As he spoke, a fiercer gust of wind, veering a point or two, caught the
sloop amidships, and before Harry could let go the sheet or bring her
closer up, she heeled over to the blast until the water poured in a
torrent into the cockpit. Harry jammed down the helm and let go the
mainsheet and she righted herself, trembled under the strain and plunged
ahead once more into the seas.

It was mere chance that both Bert and Mason were not swept into the sea
by the sudden careening of the boat. As it was, they were thrown into
the cockpit, and when they climbed back in the darkness to their places
on the weather rail, the Midget wore a much more serious expression on
his naturally comical face.

"You are right, Hal," he said, solemnly, "I guess it's no joke after
all."

The rain was now coming down in vicious torrents that beat in the boys'
faces, almost blinding them.

Suddenly in the blackness ahead there flashed a bright, green light like
the eye of some monster of the deep. It appeared to be about as high
above them as the mast head of the sloop. They each saw it at the same
time, and each knew, with a thrill of horror, what it meant.

"Hold fast," shouted Harry, in tones that could just be heard above the
howling of the gale, and at the same time he put the helm hard down.
"She's almost on us."

It was too late. There was a crash and the sound of splintering timbers.

The big steamer cut the little craft in two as cleanly as with a knife.

CHAPTER II

CARRIED AWAY TO SEA

As the big, black hull of the steamer crashed into the sail boat, a loud
shout went up from her deck. The note of fright in it penetrated even
through the shrieks of the gale.

"Boat under our starboard bow, sir--we've run her down."

The warning shout and the cry that announced the disaster were
punctuated only by a breath. Then followed a babel of or