ve minutes later the third, and
from her a great flame which continued to burn.

"Captain Blaise, I don't understand. Why that fire-raft?" Miss Shiela
had reappeared on deck.

"Why? We are hoping that they will think that we are sailing out to sea
in line of the explosions, just the opposite from what we are doing. If
they will but think that that burning raft is our burning hold and that
we are in distress, why--Look, Miss Shiela!"

Two war-ships were now signalling to each other recklessly, and their
signals gave us a chance to reckon pretty nearly the course that they
were steering. Both ships were headed straight for the burning raft. As
they came on they uncovered their sailing lights, to prevent collision
with each other, and watching these two ships' lights we might have
picked a way directly between them. But if they happened to have another
ship under cover in that apparently open water, we would be lost; and
also, in passing between, we would have blocked off the lights of each
in turn to the other and then they would have us.

Between the bar and the sailing lights of the inshore ship of the pair
now bearing down, we knew there was another ship. We had seen her signal
early, and that ship, we knew, would be held as close to the line of
surf as her draught and the nerve of her commander would allow. Captain
Blaise, reckoning where she should be, laid the _Bess's_ course for her.
"She's used to having a little loose water on her deck--let her have it
again," he said, and at this time we had everything on her, and if I
have not made any talk of it before, I'll say it now--the _Bess_ could
sail.

We were now heading about a point off the edge of the outer line of
heavy breakers, and as the _Bess_ had the least free-board of any ship
of her size sailing the trades, she was soon carrying on her deck her
full allowance of loose water. Amidships, when she lay quietly to
anchor, a long-armed man could lean over her rail and all but touch his
fingers in the sea. Now, with the wind beam, over her lee rail amidships
the heavy seas mounted. On the high quarter-deck we had only to hang
onto the weather-rail, but the men stationed amidships had to watch
sharp to keep from being swept overboard.

She was long and lean. It was her depth, and not her beam, which had
held the _Bess_ from capsizing in many a blow. Ten years Captain Blaise
had had her, and in those ten years, whether in sport or need, he had
not spared her