ed the bridge and gazed at the
illumination with a smile; for all this splendor of electrical display
was for a purpose.

"You've locked them in, eh?" said Mr. Howland, abruptly. He had been
pacing the bridge, the victim of many doubts.

"Yes," replied Dan; and there was a sharp inflection in the
monosyllable which precluded further questioning. The owner had
instructed his Captain to land the guns which were lying in the hold of
the steamship, and the young Captain was intent on the matter in hand.

He pulled a certain crank, upon which the steam winches began to
revolve with ghostly creakings, bringing the anchor up out of the mud.
Then he signalled for full speed ahead. There was a creaking, a sound
of roiling water, and then, still blazing with light, the steamship
made out for the open sea.

They had gone but a quarter of a mile when those who were left on the
fleet suddenly came to a realizing sense of the diabolical plot hatched
under their very noses. A gun boomed, a six-pounder shell squealed
past the bridge, but the _Tampico_ slipped on her way seaward, while
the funnels of the fleet belched clouds of smoke blacker than the
velvet skies. From the saloon came muffled shouts and ineffectual
poundings on the bulkhead doors.

"The walls are good and thick," said Dan, grimly. "I doubt they will
be heard--unless some one of the craft gets within a hundred yards of
us. They ought to have full steam up by this time. I might as well
stop her right here; this is about right."

As the steamship swung heavily on the tide, the Captain shouted an
order, which was taken up on deck and carried down a hatchway. The
next instant the lights in the lower part of the hull went out. A few
minutes later, another stratum of lights disappeared, and still later
the deck lights. Then out went the port and starboard lamps. Then
there was a ten-minute wait, while Mr. Howland, Virginia, and the rest
of the party who had ventured on deck, thrilled and delighted with the
situation, held their breath. Dan pulled another switch and the
masthead lights went out. The _Tampico_ was now a part of the night.

"Oh!" exclaimed Virginia, "I see. You have given them an imitation of
a vessel disappearing hull down in the darkness. How clever!"

An exclamation from Mr. Howland broke the silence. "Oh!" he cried. "I
see." And he placed his hand on Dan's shoulder.

The stillness was intense. The water swept softly past the hull