Part 10 (1/2)

The days slipped by one after the other, until Captain Fairleigh announced that forty-eight hours more ought to bring them in sight of Diamond Head, a high hill at the entrance to Honolulu harbor.

But another storm was at hand, and that night the wind blew more fiercely than ever. The Tacoma tossed and pitched to such a degree that standing on the deck was next to impossible, and all of the boys and the girls gathered in the cabin and held fast to the posts and the stationary seats.

”It feels as if the steamer would roll clear over,” said Sam. ”Here we go again!”

There was thunder and lightning, and soon a deluge of rain, fully as heavy as that experienced while on board of the ill-fated Old Glory.

This continued all of the night, and in the morning the storm seemed to grow worse instead of better.

”We are in a run of bad luck,” said d.i.c.k. ”I really believe we will have all sorts of trouble before we get back to the United States.”

Toward noon a mist came up, and it grew dark. Lanterns were lit, and the Tacoma felt her way along carefully, for Captain Fairleigh knew that they were now in the track of considerable s.h.i.+pping.

By nightfall the steamer lay almost at a stand-still, for the mist was thicker than ever. For safety the whistle was sounded at short intervals.

The girls were the first to retire, and the boys followed half an hour later. The staterooms of all were close together.

d.i.c.k Rover was the last to go to sleep. How long he slept he did not know.

He awoke with a start. A shock had thrown him to the floor of the stateroom, and down came Sam on top of him. There were hoa.r.s.e cries from the deck, a shrill steam whistle, and the sound of a fog horn, and then a grinding thud and a b.u.mp that told the Tacoma had either run into some other s.h.i.+p or into the rocks.

CHAPTER VIII

FROM ONE s.h.i.+P TO ANOTHER

”We struck something!”

”What is the matter?”

”Are we going down?”

These and a score of other cries rang out on board the steamer. The thumping and b.u.mping continued, followed by a cras.h.i.+ng that could mean but one thing--that the s.h.i.+p was being splintered, and that her seams were being laid wide open.

As soon as possible the Rover boys slipped into some clothing and went on deck. They were quickly followed by the three girls, who clung tight to them in terror.

”Oh, d.i.c.k, this is the worst yet!” came from Dora. ”What will be the end?”

”The Tacoma is sinking!” was the cry from out of the darkness.

”Are we really sinking?” gasped Nellie as she clutched Tom.

”Yes, we are,” came from Sam. ”Can't you feel the deck settling?”

They could, only too plainly, and in a minute more the water seemed to be running all around them. The cries continued, but it was so black they could see next to nothing.

What happened in the next few minutes the Rover boys could scarcely tell, afterward. An effort was made to get out a life-boat, and it disappeared almost as soon as it left the side, carrying some sailors with it. Then some red-fire blazed up, lighting up the tragic scene, and revealing a schooner standing close by the steamer. The sailing vessel had her bowsprit broken and part of her forward rail torn away.

”If we must die, let us die together!” said d.i.c.k, and they kept together as well as they could. Old Jerry was with them, and said he would do all he could for them. He had already pa.s.sed around life-preservers, and these they put on with all possible speed.