and the throbbing of the screw could
be heard.

When the hour had passed it was no longer possible to force water into
the hold. The heat was so great that the hose burned as fast as it could
be pushed through the aperture, and long tongues of flame were appearing
around the edges of the hatch.

All hands, including the boys, were formed in line, and water sent below
in buckets for twenty minutes more, when the word was given to slacken
speed.

The lower deck had burst through, and there was no more than time for
Jake and his assistants to clamber up the ladders before the flames had
complete possession of the yacht from the bow to the engine-room
companion-way.

There was no time to be lost in lowering the boats, and the men were
forced to leap in regardless of the previous assignment, for once the
fire burst the bonds which had confined it so long it swept aft with
almost incredible rapidity.

Teddy and Neal, bewildered by the flames which actually burned their
flesh as they stood by the rail while the sailors let go the falls, had
only thought of reaching the craft in which their property was stowed,
and Jake followed; but as the little tenders were allowed to drop astern
beyond reach of the intense heat the boys discovered that Mr. Emery was
not with them.

He had charge of one boat; Mr. Walters commanded another; Jake was held
responsible for the safety of the third, and the last was handled by the
mate.

"Shall we come with you, father?" Teddy shouted.

"I don't think it will be advisable to make any change now, and you are
as safe in one boat as another."

"I'll answer for them," Jake cried cheerily, and the sailing master
added:

"Jake can handle a small boat better than any one here, therefore you
need not fear an accident will result through carelessness."

"How am I to steer?" the engineer asked.

"Due west. The boats must remain together, and in each one is a lantern
to be hung up during the night to lessen the chances of being separated.
Two men in every craft are to be kept at the oars all the time, and, in
order to make the work light, they should be relieved hourly. The
indications are that the weather will hold clear; it is only a couple of
hundred miles to the Cuban coast, and we are not likely to be cooped up
in these cockle shells very long."

As he ceased speaking Mr. Walters gave the word for the oarsmen to begin
the work which it was supposed would be continued without intermiss