ted by the action of
the men and the boat that day.

All hands kept the deck, and their first task was to discard the now
useless signal mast, which might help identify the boat as the runaway
destroyer.

Two engineers sawed nearly through the mast at its base, while the
others cleared away the light shrouds and forestay. Then a few tugs on
the lee shroud sent it overboard, while the men dodged from under.
Beyond smashing the bridge rail it did no damage.

The dodging tactics were resumed. A steamer appearing on the east or
west horizon, heading so as to pass to the northward or southward, was
given a wider berth by a dash at full speed in the opposite direction.

Every face--even Florrie's and Denman's--wore an anxious, nervous
expression, and the tension increased as the hours went by.

Dinner was served, but brought no relief. Men spoke sharply to one
another; and Jenkins roared his orders from the bridge, bringing a
culmination to the strain that no one could have foreseen.

The sudden appearance of an inbound steamer out of a haze that had
arisen to the east necessitated immediate full speed. Riley was in
charge of the engine room, but Sampson stood at the hatch exercising an
unofficial supervision; and it was he that received Jenkins' thundering
request for more steam.

Sampson, in a voice equally loud, and with more profanity, admonished
Jenkins to descend to the lower regions and attend to his own affairs.

Jenkins yielded. Leaving Forsythe in charge of the bridge, he came down
the stairs and aft on the run. Not a word was spoken by either; but,
with the prescience that men feel at the coming of a fight, the two
cooks left their dishes and the engineers their engines to crowd their
heads into the hatches. Riley showed his disfigured face over the heads
of the other two; and on the bridge Forsythe watched with the same evil
grin.

But few blows were passed, then the giants locked, and, twisting and
writhing, whirled about the deck. Florrie screamed, but Denman silenced
her.

"Nothing can be done," he said, "without violating the parole; and even
if--"

He stopped, for the two huge forms, tightly embraced, had reeled like
one solid object to the rail, which, catching them at just above the
knees, had sent them overboard, exactly as Sampson had gone before.

"Man overboard!" yelled Denman, uselessly, for all had seen. But he
threw a life-buoy fastened to the quarter, and was about to throw
another,