smay by an oath and a convulsive tightening of
the hands that rested on the girl's shoulders.

Hozier strove with a few desperate strokes of the paddle to reach the
shadows of the passage before the catamaran was seen by the boat's
occupants. He might have succeeded. Many things can happen at night
and on the sea--strange escapades and hair's-breadth 'scapes--thrills
denied to stay-at-homes dwelling in cities, who seldom venture beyond a
lighted area. But there was even a greater probability that the
unwieldy catamaran might be caught by the swell and dashed side-long
against one of the half-submerged rocks that thrust their black fangs
above the water.

Happily, they were spared either alternative. At the very instant that
their lot must be put to the test of chance, Coke's hoarse accents came
to their incredulous ears.

"Let her go, Olsen," he was growling. "We've a clear course now, an'
that dam moon will spile everything if we're spotted."

In this instance hearing was believing, and Philip was the first to
guess what had actually occurred.

"Boat ahoy, skipper!" he sang out in a joyous hail.

Coke stood up. He glared hard at the reef.

"Did ye 'ear it?" he cried to De Sylva, who was steering. "Sink me, I
'ope I ain't a copyin' pore ole Watts, but if that wasn't Hozier's
voice I'm goin' dotty."

"It's all right, skipper," said Philip, sending the catamaran ahead
with a mighty sweep. "Miss Yorke is here--Captain San Benavides, too.
I was sure you would look for us if you cleared the harbor safely."

Then Coke proclaimed his sentiments in the approved ritual of the high
seas, while the big Norseman at the oars swung the boat's head round
until both craft were traveling in company to the waiting launch. But
before anything in the nature of an explanation was forthcoming from
the occupants of either the boat or the catamaran, a broad beam of
white light swept over the crest of the island from north to south. It
disappeared, to return more slowly, until it rested on Rat Island, at
the extreme northwest of the group. It remained steady there, showing
a wild panorama of rocky heights and tumbling sea.

"A search-light, by G--d!" growled Coke.

"Then there really _was_ a warship," murmured Iris.

"Ha!" said San Benavides, and his tone was almost gratified, for he had
gathered that Hozier was skeptical when told of the rockets. But in
that respect, at least, he was not mistaken. A man-of-war had en