All that would then remain to those aboard would be to take to the ocean.

True, they had life-preservers aboard, and with these, officers and men
could keep afloat.

In the icy waters of a February night, however, with something like
fifteen miles to swim to mainland through an ever-roughening sea, it
was almost impossible that the strongest among them could hope to reach
shore alive.

Yet, desperately anxious as he was to know the news, Jack Benson did
not desert his post by the steering wheel. Some one must be there. Nor
had Hal thought of leaving the engine room.

So the naval lieutenant remained with Benson, duplicating, in those
awful moments, the boy's cool courage.

It was Ewald who presently came running up the stairs to report.

"Mr. Somers orders me to report that there's a little trickle of water
coming in between two plates about twelve feet abaft of the bow, sir.
But Mr. Somers believes that, even without pumping, we could run
forty miles without serious danger, sir."

Knowing his friend's ability and good judgment as he did, Jack Benson
stood ready to accept that report, without question. But Lieutenant
Danvers inquired:

"Did you see the leak, Ewald?"

"Yes, sir."

"What do you think about it?"

"Why, sir, I agree with Mr. Somers."

"I believe I'll go down and take a look at the leak," announced Danvers,
slowly.

"Then, while you're gone," said Benson, "I'll keep the searchlight
steadily on what I can see of the top of that mast-stump."

"Why not keep on in toward the shore?"

"Because, sir," and Jack's jaws snapped, "if we've been insulted in this
fashion by an old derelict, I don't believe in letting the old derelict
get off so easily, sir."

Lieutenant Danvers knitted his brow, thoughtfully, as he hurried down
the stairs, then followed Ewald through a steel trapway into the cramped
compartments under the cabin flooring.

In three or four minutes Mr. Danvers came up again.

"It's all right," he said. "I can't see that the leak threatens to
become serious, unless we should happen to hit that mast-stump again."

"I believed it was all right," the young captain replied, quietly,
"after having heard Mr. Somers's report."

"You three boys certainly stick together and admire each other, don't
you?" laughed Danvers.

"We've every reason to, sir. We three have been trained together in
this work. No one of the three knows anything that the others don't,"
came Benson's matter-