Sixteen dial came, and found poor Mollie in a fever of anxiety. If no lipthalener came into port before 20 dial, her case was hopeless. It was 350 miles to Guadalupe Island, and she must be there at 10 dial the next day, in order to have sufficient time to reach Ninta Creek and make her preparations. Discouraged, she sat and buried her face in her hands, while Marie, in sympathy, put her arms about her, and tried to comfort the sinking heart. Hark! What was that sound? Like a flash of lightning, Mollie was on her feet. "Did you hear it, Marie?" she cried, excitedly. "Yes; what was it?" the other replied with equal excitement. "There! there! Do you hear it? There it is again!" and the girl danced for very joy. The hoarse, rolling sound of a marine whistle was plainly heard by both. "A lipthalener! A lipthalener!" they both cried, and rushed out on to the porch. Coming around the fortress point was a magnificent cruiser of about 3,000 tons. Her black hull and raking, yardless masts proclaimed her calling; the flag at the peak, the glorious stars and stripes, proclaimed her nationality. Off the lower dock, and a half-mile from it, she came to anchor, and her great hull swung around with the tide. "Come, Marie; no time is to be lost!" and Mollie rushed into the parlor, seized her hat, and quickly made her way to the dock. For a dollar, a boatman gladly took them in his little craft, and rowed to where the lipthalener lay quietly at her anchors. "Ahoy! On deck! Is the captain on board?" cried the boatman, as he held off by a hook against the side of the big vessel. "You'll think so, you lubber, if he sees that hook in his vessel," came the response from the port bows. "Heave off and lie to, and I'll report," and the man and voice disappeared. A moment after, a man in the uniform of the United States navy, appeared at the companion-way and cried: "Ahoy! What's wanted?" "Two ladies wish to come aboard and speak to the captain, sir," replied the boatman, touching his hat in a nautical fashion. "Very well. Heave to on the starboard side." A few minutes later Mollie and Marie were in the captain's cabin of the San Francisco, and had asked its commander to take them to Guadalupe Island. "But, ladies," replied Captain Gordon, a bluff but kind-hearted old gentleman of fifty-five years, "this is rather an unusual request upon the United States navy, and comes from a very unusual source; yes, a very unusual source indeed, but a very charming source, I must confess," and he bowed gallantly to the two girls. "I know it, Captain; but the case is one of life or death: I must be in Guadalupe Island at 10 dial to-morrow." Mollie looked beseechingly at him as she spoke. "I wish I could accommodate you, ladies; but I fear it is impossible." Mollie's heart almost ceased to throb as she heard these words. "I am here for dispatches," continued the captain, "and expect to leave for San Francisco to-morrow morning."