one. She was being tossed about
by a raging sea and cut up by the fire from the guns. Whether she had
struck on rocks or sand or mud no one had any means of telling.

But her engines were reversed the instant the accident occurred. And a
hasty examination of the hold showed that whatever the danger was there
was no leak.

But that seemed cold comfort, for at the rate the heavy batteries were
blazing away there was likely to be a number of leaks in a very short
while. And even a steel tug will not hold together long with a sea
pounding over her like this one was.

Yet as it actually happened, that sea was the only thing that got the
vessel out of her unfortunate predicament.

They were a great deal luckier than they would have dared to hope to be.
For when they realized they were aground there was not a man on board
who did not think his last hour was at hand.

But as it actually happened, the sand bar upon which the tug had driven
lay some distance beneath the surface. And it had caught the vessel by
the keel.

The engines throbbed wildly, doing their noblest to pull the vessel off;
and then one after another came the great waves, tossing her this way
and that, wrenching and twisting, lifting and lifting again, while every
one on deck clung for his life.

There was a minute or two of agonizing suspense, while the shore
batteries kept up a galling fire and the merchantman steamed out to sea,
proud of her triumph.

And then suddenly came a wild cheer from the imperiled Americans. Then
men fairly shrieked in a transport of delight.

"She's moving! She's started! She's safe!"

And the men fairly hugged each other for joy. Slowly, then faster, then
faster still, and finally at full speed backward. The gallant tug had
torn herself loose from the grip of the sand--and was free!

The baffled Spanish batteries redoubled their fire at that. One could
almost imagine the gunners grinding their teeth with rage as they saw
their prey escaping.

But grinding their teeth did not seem to sharpen their eyes. Their aim
was as bad as ever, and the Uncas seemed like the proverbial man in the
rainstorm who keeps dry by "dodging the drops."

The confusion on board of the "escaped" vessel may be imagined. How that
triumphant captain must have sworn Spanish oaths.

It was a ticklish task that Lieutenant Raymond had before him then. He
knew there were sand bars about. But he did not know where they were.
And the task was to avo