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Hanging from the highest branches or swinging between the massive boles creepers of every kind rioted in bewildering confusion, a chaos of natural cordage, of festooned lianas thick as a liner's hawser, some twisting around each other, others coiling about the tree-trunks, biting deep into the bark or striving to strangle them in a cruel grip.
Within another hour it was possible to signal, and from the "Princess Irene's" masthead the signal flags were broken out. "Now, watch for excitement on board your own craft," smiled the liner's commander, an Englishman. As soon as the liner's signal had been read by the vessels of the squadron a wild display of signal bunting swiftly broke out. "Heaven be thanked!" read one set of signal flags.
By the time the cork-fender had been squeezed between the liner's side and the bluff of the Storstad's bow, the effect of the latter's reversed propeller would have been produced, and the ships would have come apart with no more damage than bulged and started plates.
Luckily the spar did not go over the side, but lay, fore-and-aft, inboard; otherwise the rigging might have fouled the propeller and brought the ship to a standstill. As it was, she continued her flight as though nothing had happened. "This matter has gone quite far enough," exclaimed Mildmay, sharply, as he saw the liner's mast fall. "Come inside, all of you, if you please.
For a tramp's a tramp, and a liner's a liner; and all the water in God's ocean, and all the rubbing and scrubbing on man's earth, won't convert the one into the other, bless you."
Then he said: "Thank you, Miss Fuller. In a way, it's embarrassing to feel you trust me; but I'll do what I can to deserve it." Three or four minutes afterwards the launch steamed round the liner's stern and ran into the gloom beneath her tall side.
Whereupon there ensued a muffled jingling of bells from somewhere down in the liner's interior, and her propeller began to revolve, churning up the water into a frothy swirl about her rudder as she gathered way and began to forge ahead.
Suddenly, from the liner's whistle, a great cascade of white steam spouted. "Wough-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!" It was the vessel's siren blowing a greeting to the young adventurers of the air. At the same instant a deep-throated roar, a cheer from cabin and steerage passengers alike, winged its way upward. Roy acknowledged it by a graceful wave of his cap. Then the cheering broke forth afresh.
We get all that liner's coal passers, oilers, firemen, six deckhands and four quartermasters at the scale of wages prevailing in Hamburg. I know what it is in marks, but I haven't figured it out in dollars and cents, although whatever it is it's a scandal! It almost cuts our pay roll in half." "Do you speak German, captain?" Cappy queried excitedly. "I do not, sir more's the pity.
So it came about that the liner's lifeboat picked up Jack, the girl and her brother. The middies, disdaining any such outside interference, calmly turned and made for the "Farnum." The girl proved to be unconscious, the brother more than half-dazed. "Bring them aboard," directed Mr. Trahern, briefly.
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