st life-line to take a quick, oblique step
toward the port lines. At that very instant a huge comber climbed aboard
over the stern, the great bulk of water lifting Dave as though he were
but a chip.

As he struggled for his footing he had a brief glimpse of one of the
sailors battling toward him. Then a continuation of the wave carried him
obliquely forward, lifting him clear of the port rail at the quarter and
driving him over into the sea.

Instantly a hoarse yell rose and was repeated: "Commanding officer
overboard astern, sir!"

CHAPTER VII

IN THE HOUR OF DESPAIR

DAVE did not hear the wild, hoarse alarm. A mass of water pounded in his
ears. He felt himself going down as though headed for the bottom of the
sea.

During what seemed an interminable interval Darrin kept his mouth tightly
shut. He did not struggle to rise to the surface, for he knew that as
soon as the driving force of the water over him had expended itself his
belt would carry him up to air.

And so it did. As Darrin shook the spray from his eyes he made out the
"Grigsby" only as a dark mass far ahead. Then a wave blotted her out.
When next he looked he saw nothing. The third time he made out a still
more indistinct mass, which, he judged, was turning to come back and look
for him.

"Steady, boy!" he urged himself. "The outfit aboard that craft will make
every possible effort to find me. Ah, I knew it!"

For now the ray of the searchlight streamed out, trying to pierce the
murkiness of the night.

[Illustration: "Commanding officer overboard!"]

By the shifting of the ray, too, he saw that the "Grigsby" was putting
about.

"They'll pick me up soon with that light," he told himself.

He did not permit himself to reflect that, if the startled officers and
men on the destroyer located him it would be by the sheerest good luck. A
human head rolling among waves on a black night is a difficult object to
pick up with the searchlight.

Dave now struck out enough to keep his face turned toward the light. He
did not attempt to swim toward the destroyer. That long, narrow craft
circled about, bringing a second searchlight to bear.

Then Dave saw the blinkers at the foremast head gleam out dully. He even
read the signal:

"Lieutenant Commander Darrin overboard. Not yet located."

"That's for Dalzell's benefit," Dave told himself. "Poor old Danny-boy
will be wild, and will come steaming over here at full speed.
But--confound it! The