the tide?"

"About at the turn now, sir."

"Is she making any headway astern?"

"I'll ascertain, sir. Chains, there!"

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Is she going astern any?"

"She is standing still, sir. She hasn't moved."

"Keep your lead line out. Sing out the instant the ship begins to go
astern," ordered the captain.

"Aye, aye, sir."

"I'm afraid she is swinging to port, sir," announced the executive.

The captain took a shore bearing and glanced along his ship toward the
stern.

"Yes, this won't do at all. We'll be on the shoal broadside in a
moment. Put out the starboard stern anchor. Draw her up tight. Be
quick about it!"

A splash far aft told them that the anchor had gone overboard.

"Is she holding, Coates?"

"I think so, sir."

"Watch her. When the tide turns she may shift the other way, but I
think that, by drawing the anchor chains taut, we can hold the ship
where she is now."

"I do not think she is very far on. We ought to float at high tide,
sir."

"Yes; we should, but you cannot always tell. This is too bad, though
we did all we could. I hope this mishap has not injured her in any
way."

"I do not see how that could be possible, sir. It is soft ground into
which she has poked her nose."

"Yes; I could tell that by the way she went aground. Sandy bottom.
Signalman!"

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Send a general recall to the boats. No need to keep them out there
any longer. Besides, we shall need the boats here. Boatswain's mate!"

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Have the divers made ready to go down."

"Had we not best stop the engines now, sir?" asked the executive.

"No; keep them going. But watch her closely. In case they pull her
off we shall have to be careful that we do not back into the anchor
chain and foul the propellers."

"Very good, sir."

"Are the boats returning, signalman?"

"Yes, sir; they are all returning, sir."

The noon hour had arrived, and the crew was piped down to mess just as
if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. As the captain's motor
boat drew alongside the captain called over to the boat to pull up by
the starboard gangway. In a few moments he joined the boat there and
boarded her.

"Run up under the bow of the ship," he commanded.

A few revolutions of the propeller brought them to the spot indicated.

"Is this the place you signaled about, Davis?" he demanded sharply.

"Yes, sir."

The bottom, shining and white, lay in plain sight.