s way," thought Nat. "Guess
I'll give him a caution signal."

He pulled the whistle wire sharply. Short blasts came forth from the
_Mermaid's_ hoarse siren. To Nat's surprise the other vessel, instead
of keeping away from him, in the narrow channel, seemed to be coming
closer.

"Doesn't he know enough to keep away, and on his own course?" said the
young pilot half aloud.

He waited with an anxiously beating heart, and at the same time looked
around to see if anybody else was near.

"Oh, if only Mr. Weatherby was here now!" he told himself. Never had
he missed the old pilot so much as at this moment. For one instant he
thought of yelling for assistance, but knew it would be useless, for
his voice would not carry far enough. He was in sole charge and must
do the best he could.

"Perhaps that other pilot is drunk," he murmured, and then shut his
teeth hard. He was "up against it good and hard," and he realized it
only too well. He trembled in spite of himself, and an icy chill began
to creep up and down his backbone.

He gave another signal. Then, as he watched, he saw the prow of the
other vessel turn toward him.

"He's going to ram me!" exclaimed Nat.

Quickly he gave another signal, and then he rang for full speed
astern. But it was too late. With a crash the other vessel was upon
him, though the result was different from what might have been
expected.

The _Mermaid_ was a steel boat, while the _Liberty Bell_ was an old
wooden one. Instead of the bow of the latter crashing into the hull of
the passenger steamer, the bow of the freight boat crumpled up like
paper, being smashed into kindling wood up as far as the pilot-house,
part of which was demolished.

There was a confused ringing of bells and blowing of whistles, and
then both vessels came to a stop.

CHAPTER XXV

BUMSTEAD'S ARREST--CONCLUSION

With the first sound of the crash Captain Turton and Mr. Weatherby
were out of their berths, and on deck. The searchlight of the
_Mermaid_ showed plainly what had occurred. Neither boat was
dangerously damaged, the passenger steamer hardly suffering at all.

Captain Turton took this in at a glance, and then, with the assistance
of the mates, he quieted the frightened passengers.

"How did it happen, Nat?" asked Mr. Weatherby gravely.

"That fellow went wrong!" exclaimed Nat, in his nervous excitement.
"Whoever was steering that boat gave the wrong signals. I'm positive
of that. Twice I warned hi