midshipmen, too, hurried forward, mingling with the crew, as the big
battleship swung around and tried to find her wake.

The flagship had crowded on extra steam, and was fast coming over the
seas.

With such a sea running, it was well nigh impossible to make out so
small a thing as a head or a life-preserver, unless it could be observed
at the instant when it crested a wave.

Marine glasses were in use by every officer who had brought his pair to
the deck. Others rushed back to their cabins to get them.

A lieutenant of the marine corps stood forward, close to a big group of
sorrowing midshipmen.

"There are certain to be three vacancies in the Naval Academy," remarked
the lieutenant.

"Don't say that, sir," begged Farley, in a choking voice. "The three
overboard are among the finest fellows in the brigade!"

"I don't want to discourage any of you young gentlemen," continued the
marine corps lieutenant. "But there's just about one chance in a
thousand that we shall be able to sight and pick up any one of the
unlucky three. In the first place, it would take a wonderful swimmer to
live long in such a furious sea. In the second place, if all three are
still swimming, it will be almost out of the question to make out their
heads among the huge waves. You've none of you seen a man overboard
before in a big sea?"

Several of the mute, anxious midshipmen shook their heads.

"You'll realize the difficulties of the situation within the next few
minutes," remarked the lieutenant. "I am sorry to crush your hopes for
your classmates, but this is all a part of the day's work in the Navy."

The largest steam launches from all three of the battleships were being
swiftly lowered. Officers and men were lowered with the launches. As the
launch shoved off from each battleship tremendous cheers followed them.

"Stop all unnecessary noise!" bellowed the watch officer from the bridge
of the "Massachusetts." "You may drown out calls for help with your
racket."

While the three battleships went back over their courses in more stately
fashion, the launches darted here and there, until it seemed as though
they must cover every foot within a square mile.

"I don't see how they can help finding the three," Farley declared
hopefully.

"That is," put in another third classman, "if any of the three are still
afloat."

"Stow all talk of that sort," ordered Farley angrily.

Other midshipmen joined in with their protests. When a ma