“We must save ourselves!” cried the mate, running in at this juncture. “Let our prisoners shift for themselves as best they can. Let’s all leap into the sea. There we at least have a chance for our lives. But if we stay on this ship we will all be drowned like cats in a bag.”
“What do you propose?” asked Tony, his face white with fear.
“When the ship comes near enough the surface of the water to make it safe we should all drop overboard!” the mate exclaimed. “We are near some islands, I understand, and we can thus save our lives by swimming ashore.”
This plan seemed to meet with instant favor, and a little later there was a rush for the deck, as each one wished to be the first to escape from the boat they believed to be doomed.
Lower and lower fell the Mermaid. She was like a wounded bird which the shot of the hunter has crippled. Down and down she fluttered.
By this time all the sailors, save the mate were on deck. He and Mark remained in the engine room.
“Don’t let her get too low,” the mate whispered.
“I’ll watch out,” Mark replied. “I want to give them a good scare while I’m at it.”
The ship was now within fifty feet of the water. There was a cry of terror from the sailors. Some of them leaped over the rail and started to swim ashore, as the ship was by this time close to a group of islands.
Suddenly, from the engine room the mate rushed.