He pointed, and soon all made out the lights of a vessel in the distance.  Then, as the craft came closer, they saw a rocket shoot up in the air, followed by a Roman candle.

“It’s the Rainbow!” shouted Dick.  “That must be some sort of signal for us!”

“But where is the Josephine” asked Tom.

Nobody knew, and just then nobody cared.  Captain Barforth ran down to the water’s edge and prepared to launch one of the small boats.

“I am going out to my vessel,” he said.  “Hollbrook, come along.  If everything is all right, we’ll send two rockets up or fire the cannon twice.  Then you had better bring the treasure on board without delay.”

This was agreed to, and in a moment more the captain and his man were afloat and rowing toward the opening of the reef with all their might.  Those left behind waited anxiously for what might follow.

“The steam yacht may be in the hands of the enemy,” said Songbird, but he was mistaken, for quarter of an hour later up went two rockets into the air.  Then the searchlight struck the water, and those on shore saw a rowboat put off and head for land.

“It’s Bahama Bill and one of the sailors,” cried Tom, a little later.  And then he raised his voice as the rowboat shot into the bay.  “This way, Bill, this way!”

Soon the rowboat struck the sand and Bahama Bill leaped out.  His face was one broad smile.

“So ye got the treasure after all, did ye!” he cried.  “I’m powerful glad on it, yes, sir!  Now we’ll fool that Merrick crowd good!”

“But what of them and of their vessel?” asked Anderson Rover anxiously.

“Broke down an’ drifting out on the ocean,” answered the old tar, and then he continued:  “You know how they tried to board us—­after Carey, Bossermann, that skunk o’ a Wingate, an’ Ulligan went to ’em.  Well, fust we kept ’em off with fireworks and with a shotgun.  We didn’t have much steam up, but Frank Norton—­bless his heart—­ worked like a beaver, and the boys, Fred and Hans, helped him.  I went to steer an’ by good luck kept off the rocks an’ reefs.  They came after us pell mell an’ onct or twict we thought sure they had us, an’ all o’ us got pistols and cutlasses an’ prepared to fight.  The ladies an’ the gals was most scared to death an’ locked themselves in their staterooms.  But we put some ile on the fire an’ putty soon we had steam enough up to bust, an’ then we walked right away from ’em.  I reckon the captain o’ the Josephine was mad, for he kept on a followin’ us and onct he got putty close ag’in.  But then came some sort o’ an explosion from the other boat, an’ we see a cloud o’ steam rushin’ up from below, and somebody jumped overboard.  Then the steam blew away an’ the engine stopped, an’ we went on—­an’ left them away out in the ocean, fifteen or twenty miles from here.  We calkerlated they’d follow us soon as they could make repairs, so we came on at full speed, to take you on board.”