And then suddenly he sprang out to the deck. "Take the wheel a moment," he cried to the sailor. And he himself bounded down the deck toward the stern. He stared out over the railing, clinging to it tightly to prevent himself from being flung off his feet. He found that what the sailor had said was literally true. The Spaniard was now firing only an occasional shot, and she was at least a hundred yards behind. What that could mean Clif had not the faintest idea. Could it be that her engines had met with an accident? Or that she fancied the merchantman was sinking? The cadet gazed down into the surging water below him; he could see the white track of the big steamer and knew that she was fairly flying along. He took one more glance in the direction of the now invisible Spaniard. The firing had ceased altogether. And like a flash the thought occurred to Clif that whatever the reason for the strange act might be, now was the time to save the merchantman. "We can turn off to one side!" he gasped, "and lose her!" And with a bound he started for the pilot house. "Hard a-port!" he shouted to the man at the wheel. But before the man had a chance to obey Clif chanced to glance out ahead, into the darkness toward which the vessel was blindly rushing. And the cadet staggered back with a gasp. "A light!" he cried. "A light!" Yes, there was a dim flickering point of light directly in front of them. Where it came from Clif could not tell, but he realized the significance in an instant. And at the same time there was another sound that broke upon his ear and confirmed the guess. It was a dull, booming roar. The man at the wheel heard it, too. "It's breakers, sir!" he shouted. "Breakers ahead!" They were nearing the land! And then the significance of the Spaniard's act became only too apparent. The men who were running her had seen the light, and they had no idea of being led to destruction by their eagerness to follow that reckless merchantman. And so they were slowing up and keeping off the shore. There was a faint hope in that; the Maria might be able to steal away if she were quick enough in turning. Clif's order had been obeyed by the sailor the instant he heard it. Clif sprang in to help him, and they whirled the wheel around with all their might. But alas! they were too late! When a steamer waits until she hears breakers in a storm like that it is all up with her, for she must be near the shore indeed. And plunging as the Maria was, urged on by wind and waves and her own powerful engines, it was but an instant before the crisis came. Clif had half braced himself for the shock; but when it came it was far greater than he had expected. There was a crash that was simply deafening. The huge ship plunged into the rocky shore with a force that almost doubled her up, and made her shake from stem to stern. And she stopped so abruptly that Clif was flung through the window of the pilot house. The deed was done! CHAPTER VIII.