sumably
into the cabin. Then came a wait of over half an hour.

"This is getting tiresome," said Tom.

"You can go below if you want to," answered Dick, who had come up,
followed by Songbird.

Tom descended to the ground and Sam followed him. They had just done
this when there came a cry from Dick:

"Two boats are putting off from that other vessel! Each of them is
filled with men!"

"Are they coming ashore or going to my yacht?" demanded Captain
Barforth.

"They are heading for the yacht!"

"They intend to capture the _Rainbow_!" groaned Mr. Rover. "Oh, if only
we were on board!"

In his anxiety to see what was being done, he climbed the tree and so
did the captain. Then the others came up, the tree being large and
strong even at the top and capable of holding a good weight.

"If those rascals try to take my vessel I'll have them all hung!"
roared Captain Barforth, and trembled with rage. "Oh, if only I was on
board!" And he clenched his fists.

"Look! look!" ejaculated Dick, who had the spyglass. "I think--yes,
the _Rainbow_ is moving!"

"Moving!" came from the others.

"Yes, and she is turning away from the other vessel and from those in
the rowboats!"

"Let me see," said the captain and took the spyglass. "You are right,
Dick. The _Rainbow_ is running away from them!"

The news was true, the steam yacht was indeed running away from the
_Josephine_ and from those in the rowboats who had set out to take
possession of her. It was a time of great excitement.

"The rowboats are getting close to the _Rainbow_," said Tom, who had
taken the glass. "The yacht doesn't seem to have much steam up."

"Perhaps the fires were banked when Carey left," suggested the
captain. "Maybe they were put out, so the vessel couldn't move."

The steam yacht was moving slowly and those in the two rowboats were
making every effort to catch up to her. Then the black smoke began to
pour from the funnel of the _Josephine_.

"The other vessel is getting up steam," said Mr. Rover. "She may catch
the _Rainbow_ even if those in the rowboats do not."

Closer and closer to the steam yacht drew the two rowboats, until it
looked as if the _Rainbow_ would surely be boarded by the enemy. Then of
a sudden there came a cloud of smoke from the deck of the steam yacht,
followed by a stream of sparks which went whizzing just over the
rowboats. Then followed more sparks, and balls of fire, red, white and
blue.

"What in the world are th