d not be impaled upon one of the handles, but
the shock was too much for him and he pitched forward with such force
that he came near going over the wheel and out of the window of the
pilot house. As soon as Captain Burke could recover himself he scrambled
back to his position behind the wheel. He had been dazed and bruised,
but his senses quickly came to him and he comprehended the present
condition of affairs.

The yacht had not only been forced violently backward, but had been
veered around so that it now lay with its broadside towards the bow of
the other steamer. In some way, either unwittingly by the engineer or
by the violence of the shock, her engine had been stopped and she was
without motion, except the slight pitching and rolling occasioned by the
collision. The _Dunkery Beacon_ was not far away, and Burke saw to his
horror that she was again moving forward. She was coming slowly, but if
she reached the yacht in the latter's present position, she would have
weight and force enough to turn over the smaller vessel.

Immediately Burke attempted to give the order to back the yacht. The
instant performance of this order was the only chance of safety, but he
had been thrown against the speaking-tube with such violence that he had
jammed it and made it useless. If he pulled a bell the engineer might
misunderstand. She must back! She could not pass the other vessel if she
went ahead. He leaned out of the door of the pilot house and yelled
downward to the engineer to back her; he yelled to somebody to tell the
engineer to back her; he shouted until his shouts became screams, but
nobody obeyed his orders, no one seemed to hear or to heed. But one
person did hear.

Willy Croup had been impelled out of the door of the saloon and had slid
forward on her knees and elbows until she was nearly under the pilot
house. At the sound of Burke's voice, she looked up, she comprehended
that orders were being given to which no attention was paid. The wild
excitement of the shouting Captain filled her with an excitement quite
as wild. She heard the name of the engineer, she heard the order, and
without taking time to rise to her feet, she made a bound in the
direction of the engine room.

Thrusting her body half through the doorway she yelled to the engineer,
who, scarcely conscious of where he was or what he was doing, was
pushing himself away from among his bars and rods. "Back her!" screamed
Willy, and without knowing what she