Tom was growing dizzy, and the ceaseless swinging and thrusting with his musket was weakening, when from the forward hatch burst a fresh group of men shouting wildly and rushing for the rear of the mutineers. The attacking party turned to meet what they thought was a new foe, and Tom sank back against the cabin thoroughly exhausted.
"She's afire! Save yourselves!" the new arrivals were shouting. "She's afire! The hold is burning!"
The words came dimly to Tom's ears, and he dropped to the deck with a feeling that at last rest had come, and all was over.
But not for long. Tim and the mate came upon him lying there, and picking him up bodily, carried him to the rail. There the captain was working desperately over the boat on the davits, and the mate turned to help him. In a few moments they had the ropes loosed, and placing Tom in the bottom of the boat they all climbed in and lowered away. The dory struck the water, rose on the next wave, and was away from the ship. They pulled out the oars from under the seats, put them in place and rowed away. The sailors were rushing wildly about the decks seeking some means of escape.
"Great heavens!" ejaculated the captain. "That hold's full of powder. They'll all be blown to kingdom come!"
The little party were staggered by this sudden destruction that was overtaking their enemies, but there was nothing they could do, and they must save themselves. The rowers redoubled their efforts, and before they had gotten any great distance from the doomed vessel the waters were shaken with a great blast, and a pillar of flame shot up into the night, and the light showed the two halves of the ship split apart, with the balance of the sailors clinging to the wreckage and trying to climb aboard the floating skeleton of the wreck.
CHAPTER VI. ON THE MARCH.
The long fight and their narrow escape had so tired Dick and Fritz that after going a few miles further, the two Patriots decided to make camp and get a much needed rest. They had gotten fairly well along on their trip, and in spite of their forced halts had covered a good deal of ground.