he fire and Sam took turns with Dick
at the wheel.

"We ought to sight some kind of land by to-morrow," said the eldest
Rover. "But of course there is no telling where we will fetch up,
exactly."

"Somewhere on the coast of Florida, and not very many miles from
Tampa Bay, I reckon," returned Sam. "By the way, Dick, don't you
think the rascals on the _Dogstar_ have had ample time in which to
make their escape?"

"Perhaps so. But the storm may have crippled them, and we may overtake
them even yet. A sailing vessel can't make the speed a steamer or a
steam yacht can."

Twice during the afternoon they saw vessels at a distance, one a
steamer and the other a bark, and both bound westward. Neither came
close enough to be hailed and our friends did not think it wise to
raise any signals of distress.

"The yacht is running all right now," said Dick. "We may as well take
her into port and get the salvage money. The amount will be a good
round sum."

"Do you know, I shouldn't mind owning a steam yacht like this myself,"
said Tom, to whom he was speaking. "Couldn't we take some dandy trips,
off the coast of New England and elsewhere!"

"We certainly could, Tom. But you must remember that we ought to go
back to school. If we don't, we'll never get through. It's about time
I was thinking of college."

"I hate to think of leaving Putnam Hall, Dick. Why, the place is just
like a second home to me!"

"It is to all of us. But we are growing older and must either go to
college or get into business."

The sun was setting when Dick went on deck again. Hans was preparing
supper and Sam was at his station in the pilot house. The waters of
the gulf were growing calm and the scene was a beautiful one.

"This is something like," remarked the eldest Rover, as he drew in
a deep breath of fresh air. "Doesn't look like the storm of last
night, eh, Sam?"

"No, Dick, this is just splendid."

"What's that ahead?" asked the big brother, casting his eye on a dark
speck directly in the track of the steam yacht.

"I don't know--I didn't see it before."

The object, whatever it was, was a long way ahead, and by the time
they drew closer it was too dark to see clearly. But Dick saw enough
to make him cry out in astonishment:

"A rowboat, and full of men!"

The eldest Rover was indeed right, it was a large rowboat and it
contained six persons, four of whom were at the oars and the others
in the stern. The rowboat contained in additio