wn, with all her crimes in evidence aboard of
her."

"But suppose she slips us before I can get the _Barang_ clear? What of
Miss Sheldon then, if she's on board?"

"Once more I ask you to rest easy about that, Captain," Vandersee smiled
back, and suddenly Jack Barry felt complete trust take hold of him. He
nodded, without further question, and turned to Gordon. "How about you,
Gordon? Want to lend a hand?"

"To raise your ship? Like a shot, skipper. And the harder the work you
give me, the better I'll like it. I'm in need of hardening."

The river soon seethed with activity again. Bill Blunt came down from
the village, leading the crew with great importance, for he was going to
a job that would call forth all his exhaustive knowledge of the sailor's
craft. Jerry Rolfe scouted for boats, and by half-ebb tide the
_Barang's_ wet decks were filled with men.

Rigging extra pumps occupied all the time until low water, and as the
sluggish stream paused at slack, just before turning, every available
hand in the ship ground away on brakes and chain pumps until the old
brigantine gushed yellow water at every scupper. Barry, hanging over the
hatch coaming, peered anxiously into the dark hold, hoping against hope
that the pumps were gaining. The sight of swirling waters that surged
upward from the sides and spread oilily over the lowering surface proved
that the leaks were too serious to be completely checked, and it was
necessary to do something else.

"Have to send divers over and try to plug those leaks," he announced and
stared doubtfully at the panting crew. Gordon asked some questions of
Rolfe, then stepped beside the skipper.

"You can see about where they are, can't you, Barry?" he asked, peering
down at the foul water inside the ship.

"So far, yes. But they must be near water line, or the rascals could
never have made 'em. Unluckily we can't raise her to her water line; and
I hate to send men down into that slime. It might mean suffocation.
Don't you smell the gas?"

"But why not outside?"

"Too smooth, Gordon. Inside there are stringers and frames to claw on to
while feeling around; outside her skin is too slick for anything except
a barnacle to grab hold of."

Gordon coolly flung off his jacket and kicked off his shoes. And
little, at first not seeing the move, suddenly sprang to join him,
throwing aside his own clothes with a whoop of joy.

"Gosh, Barry! Why didn't you say you needed a fish?"

The skip