As quickly as they could they donned their clothing and made their way to the large state-room occupied by the girls.

“Oh, what a shock!” came from Nellie.

“Are you safe?” asked Tom.

“I am, but poor Grace struck her head on the wall, and is unconscious.”

Without ceremony Tom picked up the unconscious girl, wrapped her in a blanket, and, aided by Sam, carried her to the deck, the others following.  A minute later Grace revived.

On deck they found all in confusion.  The bowsprit of the Golden Wave was gone, and also the main topmast, while a mass of the rigging littered the forecastle.  It was also announced that the rudder was broken and the vessel was pounding helplessly on the rocks, with a big hole in the bow directly below the waterline.

“Who changed the course?” demanded Captain Blossom.  “We should be fifty miles away from these rocks.”

“The first mate made me change the course,” said the man who had been at .the wheel.  “I told him you had said southwest by south, and he made it south by west.”

“He don’t know what he’s talking about!” howled Jack Lesher.  The shock had partly sobered him.  “He was steering due south, and I told him to make it southwest by south.”

But little more could be said on the point, for it was feared that the schooner would go down at any moment.

“We must man the boats,” said the captain.  “Bring up the provisions and the kegs of water, and be quick about it.”

“Are we near land?” asked Dick.

“There should be some islands four or five miles south of this spot,” answered Captain Blossom.

Now that there was danger of going down some of the sailors seemed to grow crazy.  Half a dozen tumbled into one of the boats and began to lower it of their own accord.

“Stand back there!” shouted the captain.  “The girls must go first.”

“Not much!” shouted one of the sailors.  “It’s everybody for himself now!” And in a moment more the small boat had left the ship’s side and disappeared in the darkness.

There were three other boats and the remaining sailors, along with the first mate and Dan Baxter, wanted to crowd into these.  But Captain Blossom said he would shoot the first man who tried to row away without his orders.  Then some provisions were put into the boats, and the captain divided the whole company among the three boats.

“Let us stay together, captain,” pleaded Dick.  “We can row.”

“And what of the girls, Rover?”

“Let us go with the Rover boys,” pleaded Dora, and Nellie and Grace said the same.  Old Jerry also stood by his friends.

While this talk was going on there was a rush for two of the boats, and before Captain Blossom could do anything his men were off, taking Jack Lesher and Dan Baxter with them.

“You can go down with the ship!” cried Dan Baxter mockingly.  An instant later the darkness hid the speaker from view.