“Are we all here?” questioned Gif, hanging fast to one side of the cabin, for they could not as yet get into the motor boat on account of the tarpaulin lashed over the cockpit.
Each lad quickly answered that he was there, for which the whole bunch were thankful.
“Now if only that sailor would come along, we could cut the cable and let the schooner go on her way,” said Ralph, as they began to loosen the tarpaulin.
“Look! Look!” exclaimed Fred, excitedly. “Look at that light on the schooner!”
“Fire! Fire!” was the sudden cry from the Hildegarde. “Everybody on deck! The ship is on fire!” And as the boys gazed in consternation, they saw the flames on the deck of the schooner mounting higher and higher.
CHAPTER XII
ON THE MOTOR BOAT AGAIN
“The ship is on fire!”
“I wonder how that happened?”
“I bet that’s the work of Small!” cried Jack.