out, he finally located the battleship, though he was able
to see it only when the schooner rose on some mighty swell. The ship
appeared to be far away, but from her forward cage mast a broad beam of
light was being thrown down on the water. After a time Dan made out a
speck on the water near the warship.

"That's the cutter," he muttered. "Thank goodness, they have not been
swamped. I wonder what became of the other boat? They must have
gotten aboard before this. But how came the cutter to go away and
leave me so soon, I cannot understand."

Dan did not know that his warning to the cutter to wait for him had not
been heard by the coxswain of the latter boat, the lifeboat having
pulled away almost at once. The lad now shouted at the top of his
voice, but he could not have been heard a ship's length away.

Once the big searchlight fell across the wave-swept decks of the
"Oriole," hovered there a moment, then was quickly withdrawn.

"The boats are safe on board, I guess," decided Dan. "The ship is
moving. They are going away. I am left. I guess I had better go
below or I shall be swept into the sea. As it is, I shall not have
very long to wait for the end, judging from the way the schooner is
listing. Good-bye, old 'Long Island,'" muttered the boy, saluting, as
he fixed his eyes on the spot where he figured the stern of the
battleship should be. Then all was shut out in a blinding wave that
swept the deck of the disabled craft.

When the wave had passed, Dan was gripping the deck house, gasping, for
he was almost choking with the salt water he had swallowed. He was
still clinging to the bird.

"Come, Tom, we had better go below," he said, quickly raising the
hatch, letting it fall over him with a bang as he leaped down into the
corridor that led to the cuddy. But, quick as he was, a flood of salt
water poured down with him. For a moment Dan seemed to be swimming in
it.

"Tom Lubber, it strikes me that the safest place for you, just now,
will be in your old billet up there. If you are going to be saved, I
guess some one else will have to do it. I do not seem to be an entire
success as a life saver."

The bird-cage was placed on its hook, after which the lad stripped the
covering from it, bringing from the parrot a chorus of protests and
scornful epithets.

Dan curled up on a bunk, leaning against a bulk-head. He was dripping
wet, but to this he gave no thought. He did not even realize that s