“Yes, and she is turning away from the other vessel and from those in the rowboats!”

“Let me see,” said the captain and took the spyglass.  “You are right, Dick.  The Rainbow is running away from them!”

The news was true, the steam yacht was indeed running away from the Josephine and from those in the rowboats who had set out to take possession of her.  It was a time of great excitement.

“The rowboats are getting close to the Rainbow,” said Tom, who had taken the glass.  “The yacht doesn’t seem to have much steam up.”

“Perhaps the fires were banked when Carey left,” suggested the captain.  “Maybe they were put out, so the vessel couldn’t move.”

The steam yacht was moving slowly and those in the two rowboats were making every effort to catch up to her.  Then the black smoke began to pour from the funnel of the Josephine.

“The other vessel is getting up steam,” said Mr. Rover.  “She may catch the Rainbow even if those in the rowboats do not.”

Closer and closer to the steam yacht drew the two rowboats, until it looked as if the Rainbow would surely be boarded by the enemy.  Then of a sudden there came a cloud of smoke from the deck of the steam yacht, followed by a stream of sparks which went whizzing just over the rowboats.  Then followed more sparks, and balls of fire, red, white and blue.

“What in the world are they doing?” murmured Captain Barforth.

“They are shooting off something, but it is not a gun or a cannon,” answered Mr. Rover.

“Hurrah!  I know what it is!” cried Tom “Good for Fred and Hans!  Those are my fireworks—­those I had left from the Fourth of July celebration.  They are giving them a dose of rockets and Roman candles!”

This news was true, and as the rockets and Roman candles hit the rowboats and the occupants the latter stopped rowing and then began to back water in confusion.  Soon the rowboats turned back and hastened to the side of the Josephine.

“That’s what I call repelling boarders!” said Captain Barforth, grimly.  “I only hope the fireworks hold out.”

“It is now to be a race between the Rainbow and that other craft,” observed Mr. Rover, and he was right.  Inside of fifteen minutes both vessels were headed out to sea, and running at about the same rate of speed.  Soon the haze over the water hid both craft from view.

“Well, one thing is certain,” said Mr. Rover.  “Our friends are alive to their danger and are going to do their best to get away from the enemy.”

“And another thing is that we are left marooned on this isle,” said the captain.

The party remained in the tree a while longer, and then, as there seemed nothing else to do, they descended to the ground.

“Well, we have one thing in our favor,” was Dick’s comment.  “Sid Merrick and his crowd must be on the Josephine, or they wouldn’t chase the Rainbow, and that being so they can’t interrupt our treasure hunt, at least for the present.”