ed the mate. "That mast had dry rot to the very core.
Only the varnish held her together."

"What's that to you?" cried the captain in angry tones. "You keep your
opinions to yourself! When I want 'em, I'll ask for 'em! Now get below
and see if we're taking in any water."

"Very well, sir," was the answer, but Jack gave the captain a queer
look.

He found some water coming in, but not more, he thought, than the pumps
could take care of, so he reported the matter only to Captain Brisco.

"That's good," the commander said, seemingly well pleased. "I guess they
can have their fake shipwreck after all, if the weather clears."

As the day advanced, the storm lulled slightly, but it was still rough.
Those of the moving picture company who ventured up on deck went below
again with white, scared faces at the sight of the wreckage of the
mainmast. For it did look doleful.

"This shipwreck comes pretty near being real," said Mr. Pertell. "If we
could only photograph it now, it would make a fine film."

"Can't you?" asked Alice.

"Yes, I suppose I could make some views."

A few hundred feet of film were exposed by one of the operators, but the
pretended shipwreck would need to be taken from a small boat, and the
sea was too rough to admit of that.

Then the storm, that had given them a brief respite, began again, worse
than before. The schooner was tossed about like a toy, and the
mizzenmast was sprung so that no sail could be rigged on it.

Then when a great wave struck the craft, washing over her from stem to
stern, the work of the ocean and the storm elements seemed completed.
The _Mary Ellen_ staggered under the blow like some living thing, and
she did not rise to it as buoyantly as she had before.

Jack Jepson came rushing up from below.

"We're leaking fast!" he cried. "We'd better take to the boats, Captain
Brisco! The pumps won't work!"

"The boats! Nonsense!" the captain cried. "We'll ride it out here. The
schooner is all right!"

"I tell you she's sinking!" yelled Jack. "We must take to the boats."

"What? Do you dare give orders in my face!" stormed Captain Brisco.
"This is mutiny, sir! This is mutiny! I'll put you in irons!" and with
raised fist he started toward the old sailor.

CHAPTER XXIII

HELP AT LAST

Jack Jepson was a brave man. He proved it then by standing unflinchingly
in front of the angry captain, when shrinking back might have meant a
blow that would have brought about a ge