"She's split!"
And sure enough, a great seam had opened amidships and the water surged in with a roar.
The vessel seemed fairly falling to pieces.
And such being the case the sailors had no time to delay. The frail boat was lowered into the seething waters; the men tumbled in and seized the oars. Clif made a wild leap and caught the stern just as one mighty wave raced by and whirled the boat away from the vessel.
And in one instant it was lost to sight and sound. What was done by the Spaniards no one could see a thing. The Americans were fighting for their own lives.
There was but one thing for them to do——
"Pull for the shore, sailors, pull for the shore."
And the great sweeping breakers to aid them. In fact they were flung in so fast that they could hardly row.
It was a thrilling struggle, that race with the giant waves. The sailors struggled with all their might, keeping the frail craft straight. And Clif, with a bucket he had thought to bring, was bailing frantically, and shouting to encourage the men.
In, in they swept, nearer, with the speed of a whirlwind, toward the shore.