ress signal on the whistle. Tenterden, you go
with him to help keep a look-out."

The two hastened up the forward hatch. Even the truculent Tenterden
made no bones about taking orders from Evan now.

Evan returned to the second engineer, leaving the sulky crew to their
own devices.

"What's the damage?" he asked.

The second waved a tragic hand towards the engine, and Evan saw for
himself what had happened. The main shaft on the port side had broken
clean through. The sudden shifting of the strain had thrown the
walking-beam out of plumb, and the connecting rods had snapped off and
threshed wildly about. The ruin was complete, but fortunately, all
above the water-line.

"Is the chief badly hurt?" asked Evan.

"I don't think so. Got a side swipe from the connecting rod. I can't
find any fracture."

"Leave him to me. Get the fires banked so you can shut off that
infernal steam. Just keep steam enough to blow the whistle."

"Come on, boys," said the Second to his firemen.

They did not budge.

"Come on, boys!" said Evan. "Don't let the kids shame you! Listen to
the little beggars singing up there."

The two firemen slunk aft and disappeared down their ladder.

Evan presently had the satisfaction of seeing the engineer open his
eyes. He was apparently not seriously injured. Two of the deckhands
carried him to his berth which was on the same deck.

Evan returned to the saloon. "All straightened out below," he said
cheerfully. "The old flivver has made a complete job of her engine.
We'll have to get a horse."

The children laughed. Evan said aside to Dordess: "When they're tired
of singing, get up a show."

He went on up to the pilot-house. The mate and Tenterden were
anxiously straining their eyes through the fog. At minute intervals
the mate sounded the distress signal of five short blasts on the
_Ernestina's_ whistle.

"Where's the Captain?" asked Evan.

"In his room," was the curt reply.

"What's the matter with him?"

The mate made a significant gesture of turning his hand up at his mouth.

Evan whistled noiselessly. "Has he been that way all day?"

"No, he took a dram when the crash came to steady his nerves."

"Well, let him be," said Evan. "What chance have we of being picked up
here?"

"Not very good," said the mate. "We're on the flats inside the Hook.
Few small vessels come down here, and a big vessel couldn't come to us
even if she heard us. I'm afraid it's a ca