“All clear!”
With a shrill blast of her whistle steamer number one rounded the ship’s bow in a cloud of blinding spray and headed for the mine field. The officer in charge had been given the number of the mine, and the bearings, as he started away, so that by the aid of the compass he was enabled to direct a straight course to the scene of the trouble.
It seemed as if the staunch little steamer must turn over as she plunged along through the seas that were smiting her with increased force every moment.
In the meantime the men in the little boats on the mine field, were fighting desperately to keep their craft near the spot where two men had gone down to battle for the life of a third down under the sea.
The Battleship Boys were splendid swimmers else they never would have been able to wriggle their way through the water to the bottom. Dan was somewhat hampered too, by the coil of line that he had instinctively gathered in his hand as he prepared to leap from the boat.
By rare good luck, his hands gripped the helmet of Kester, who lay on his back drifting slowly along, the weight at his feet holding him down not far from the sea bottom.
Dan made a desperate effort to pass the line about the drowning man. By this time, however, it seemed as if the boy’s breath would burst from him. He could hold it only a second or so longer.
At that instant a new form hovered close to him. It was the red-haired Sam. With quick instinct Dan thrust the rope into the hands of his companion, and struck out for the surface.
Those in the boats made him out the instant his head was poked above the water. The boats were close by.
“There he is!” yelled a voice. “Wait; we’ll cast a rope.”