the Battleship Boy's swift
conclusion. "I hate to do it, but I've got to, or they will have me in
the sea."

He raised Black's head, giving it two sharp thumps against the ribs of
the boat. That settled Black for the time being. The Hawaiian
straightened out and lay still. But Dan had been none too quick.
White was standing over him with raised oar ready to bring it down at
the first opportunity. He had not dared to strike before, not being
able to make out his enemy as the two figures struggled at the bottom
of the dinghy.

The instant that he saw Dan scrambling up he brought the oar down. Dan
dodged the blow cleverly, the blade of the oar landing on the side of
Black's head, thus finishing the work that the Battleship Boy had begun.

The two men sprang at each other at the same instant. This time the
boy found that in White he had a far different antagonist. White met
him with a swift blow which barely grazed Dan's head. Dan countered as
best he could, planting a blow on the Hawaiian's chest, staggering the
fellow and at the same time well-nigh upsetting the boat.

Blow after blow was struck in the rocking boat, now and then each of
the contestants landing a staggering punch on his adversary's head.
All at once Dan lost his footing and fell. As he did so, he stretched
forth a hand, and by desperate effort succeeded in fastening his hold
upon the Hawaiian's arm.

White lost his balance and pitched forward.

Both men fell half over the side of the dinghy with heads and shoulders
in the sea. For the next few seconds a desperate struggle followed.
Dan held to his man, knowing full well that, were his adversary to get
the upper hand now, it would go hard with Dan Davis. Using their free
hands, the men managed to pull themselves back into the boat.

By this time both were well-nigh exhausted. Their efforts were
attended with little success compared with what they had done earlier
in the battle. White was struggling to get his adversary overboard,
while Dan was seeking to overcome the Hawaiian without doing him
serious injury.

All at once the men stumbled over a seat. Dan fell prone upon the
prostrate Black, with White on top of him. And there the gladiators
lay, breathing hard, gasping for breath, half suffocated with the salt
water that was dashing into their faces.

Everything about him seemed to Dan suddenly to grow blacker than
before. He felt his head swimming.

"I'm going to faint," he