s last. It did not seem possible that the
little craft could weather the gale.

Suddenly there came a mighty crash above their heads, followed by a
ripping, tearing sound, and above it all sounded the screams of the
girls who were fighting their great battle out there in the cockpit of
the "Sister Sue."

The girls in the cabin threw themselves into one another's arms,
screaming wildly.

"Stop it!" shouted Miss Elting. "Be brave, girls. Remember, you are
Camp Girls!"

The cabin doors burst in and a great green wave hurled them the length
of the cabin, crushing them against the bulkhead at the far end, the
guardian clinging, gasping, nearly drowned, to a rail above the
doorway.

CHAPTER XXIII

WAGING A DESPERATE BATTLE

"We're lost!" exclaimed Miss Elting, turning back into the cabin. But
she was suddenly attracted by a shout from without.

"Cut away!" screamed Harriet. "Jane, are you there? Tommy!"

"He's gone!" It was Jane's voice that answered in a long, wailing cry.

The water was rapidly receding from the cabin. Miss Elting quickly
straightened the girls out. She did not know how seriously they had
been hurt, if at all, but after making sure that all within the cabin
were alive, the guardian groped her way to the cockpit. Harriet stood
braced against the wheel, shouting out her commands, screaming at the
top of her voice to make herself heard and understood above the gale.

The guardian staggered over to her.

"Oh, what has happened?" she cried.

"The mast has gone overboard--part of it at least, and--"

"Captain Billy's gone, too! The boom struck and carried him over!"
yelled Jane when she had crept near enough to be heard.

"Cut away, I tell you. Here is a hatchet." Harriet had groped in the
locker, from which she drew a keen-edged hatchet and handed it to
Crazy Jane McCarthy. "You'll have to be quick. We're being swamped.
See, we are taking water over the side. Oh, _do_ hurry, Jane!"

"The captain gone!" moaned Miss Elting. "Can nothing be done?"

"No." Harriet's voice was firm. "Unless we work fast we shall all go
to the bottom. We must save those on the boat, Miss Elting. But you
listen for his voice. Oh, this is terrible!"

The steady whack--whack of the hatchet in the hands of Jane McCarthy
came faintly to their ears. Once Jane slipped over the side into the
water; but, grasping the life-line to which she was tied, the girl
pulled herself back on the deck and set pluckily to work