the bow of the "Long Island." It
seemed to take the boat crews a long time to launch the boats. The
captain thought so too, for he was now shouting out his orders with
explosive force, having taken command of the operations himself.

"Have an officer go in that boat," he commanded. "Here, ensign," as an
officer came up from below on the run, "take charge of those two boats.
If you don't make haste there you'll lose the dinghies and the men.
Remember, one man is out there in a little boat chasing two, perhaps,
desperate characters."

"Shall we hail Seaman Davis, and order him back to ship?" asked the
executive officer.

"That boy would not hear us, even if we were to blow the siren for him.
He is obeying orders, Coates. He'll do what he was sent to do, no
matter what the cost to himself. But the whaleboats should catch up
with him in time to be on hand if he comes up with the others. I let
him go on because, in that way, we shall keep track of the other boat.
If he does that he will be doing his full duty."

Dan was keeping the other dinghy in sight very well, indeed. He was
doing more than that, he was gaining rapidly now. He could hear the
splash of the oars in the other boat. The lad smiled grimly, for he
knew that the others were rowing badly, perhaps because they were
excited. Dan himself was an expert oarsman and every stroke in the
race was made to tell.

"Dinghy ahoy, there!" he called when within hailing distance.

The fleeing men made no reply to his hail.

"They are bound to get away. I wonder what it means? It may be that
some one has been on board from the shore to steal. No; that cannot be
it. It must be men from the ship, for they took a ship's boat. I'll
bet they are deserters."

He was now within a boat's length of the other dinghy, directly in its
wake. Observing this, the Battleship Boy swung out a little, so as to
come alongside of the other boat with several feet of water between the
two boats.

"Halt!" he commanded. "You're caught. I demand that you surrender and
cease rowing."

"No surrender. You go back if you know what is good for you."

The voice sounded strangely familiar to Dan Davis.

"I know you!" he shouted exultingly. "I know you now. You're Blackie.
I'll bet that's White in the boat with you. Boys, stop rowing and go
back to the ship. It's the only thing that will save you. I do not
know why you have done this thing, but your punishment will be much