“Maybe we’ll meet some ship that will pick us up,” ventured Harry, hopefully. “There are plenty of vessels in these parts.”
“I see a smoke astern of us now, I think!” declared Frank. “It seems to be from a vessel low in the water.”
“Let me take a look,” cried Ned, standing and balancing himself by clinging to Jimmie’s shoulder. “Yes, I can see it, too! It seems to be overhauling us quite rapidly,” he added. “Maybe they’ll help us!”
Ceasing their efforts to propel the boat the boys handled the oars only enough to keep their tiny craft properly riding the seas.
“It looks to me like a tug!” stated Jimmie, presently.
“A tug wouldn’t come smashing along at that rate!” objected Ned.
“Well, then, what can it be?” queried the other. “It is too low in the water for a battleship and no freight steamer ever made such good time as they are clipping off! They’re coming up fast!”
The boys were not long left in doubt. Rapidly overhauling them the strange vessel did, indeed, seem to be at first glance a tug tearing along through the waves at a great rate. The bow was lost in a smother of foam and spray. But a tiny speck of deck house was visible. The stacks were low. Great billows of black smoke vomited forth from the short funnels came drifting down the wind.
In a short time the vessel approached near enough so that the boys could distinguish a small gun mounted at the bow.
“I know what that ship is!” announced Jimmie, directly. “That’s what they call a torpedo boat destroyer or despatch boat!”