inery stopped. An engineer
officer came up from below. He and Mr. Mayhew walked to the stern,
while a seaman, accompanying them, heaved the lead, reading the
soundings.

"We're stuck good and fast," remarked the engineer officer. "We can't
drive off out of that sand for the reason that the propellers are buried
in the grit. They'll hardly turn at all, and, when they do, they only
churn the sand without driving us off."

"Confound that ignoramus of a boy!" muttered Mr. Mayhew, walking slowly
forward. It was no pleasant situation for the lieutenant commander.
Having run his vessel ashore, he knew himself likely to be facing a
naval board of inquiry.

Hal, finding that the shore boat was not wanted for the present, had
rowed over to the "Farnum's" moorings. Now Jacob Farnum came alongside
in the shore boat.

"May I speak with your watch officer?" he called.

"I am the commanding officer," Mr. Mayhew called down, in the cold, even,
dulled voice of a man in trouble.

"I am Mr. Farnum, owner of the yard. May I come on board?"

"Be glad to have you," Lieutenant Commander Mayhew responded.

So Mr. Farnum went nimbly up over the side.

"May I ask what is the trouble here, sir?" asked the yard's owner.

"The trouble is," replied Mr. Mayhew, "that your enterprising boy pilot
has run us aground--hard, tight and fast!"

Jacob Farnum glanced swiftly at his young captain. Jack shook his head
briefly in dissent. Jacob Farnum, with full confidence in his young
man, at once understood that there was more yet to be learned.

"Come up on the bridge, sir, if you will," requested the commander of
the gunboat, who was a man of too good breeding to wish any dispute
before the men of the crew. "You may come, too, Benson."

Jack followed the others, including the engineer officer of the "Hudson."
Yet Benson was clenching his hands, fighting a desperate battle to get
full command over himself. It was hard--worse than hard--to be
unjustly accused.

Jacob Farnum wished to keep on the pleasantest terms with these officers
of the Navy. At the same time he was man enough to feel determined that
Jack, whether right or wrong, should have a full chance to defend
himself.

"I understand, sir," began Mr. Farnum, "that you attach some blame in
this matter to young Benson?"

"Perhaps he is not to be blamed too much, on account of his extreme
youth," responded Mr. Mayhew.

"Forget his youth altogether," urged Mr. Farnum. "Le