"Keep it up, old man, as long as the 'ites' hold out," said Joe. "I guess there are plenty more in the dictionary. But honest, girls, Jim hasn't looked twice at any girl since he came away from Riverside." "I've looked more than twice at one girl since yesterday," Jim was beginning, but Clara, flushing rosily, thought it was high time to change the subject. The next day, with all the party safely on board, the ship weighed anchor, threaded its way through the crowded commerce of the bay and then, dropping its tug, turned its prow definitely toward the east and breasted the billows of the Pacific. "The last we'll see of Old Glory for many months," remarked Joe, as, standing at the rail, they watched the Stars and Stripes floating out from the flag-pole on the top of the government station. "Not so long as that," corrected Jim. "We will still be on the soil of God's country when we reach Hawaii seven days from now." The first two days of the voyage passed delightfully. The girls proved good sailors, and had the laugh on many of the so-called stronger sex, who were conspicuous by their absence from the table during that period. On the afternoon of the third day out, Joe and Mabel were pacing the deck with Jim and Clara at a discreet distance behind them. It was astonishing how willing each pair was not to intrude upon the other. Suddenly there was a tumult of excited exclamations near the stern of the vessel, and then above it rose a shout that is never heard at sea without a chill of terror. "Man overboard!" CHAPTER XVIII ONE STRIKE AND OUT The two young baseball players and the girls joined the throng that was racing toward the stern. A number of people were pointing wildly over the port side at a small object some distance behind the ship. They followed the pointing fingers and saw the head of a man who was swimming desperately toward the receding ship. The steamer, which had been taking advantage of the favorable weather and had been ploughing ahead under full steam, found it hard to stop, although orders had been given at once to shut off steam. It was maddening to the onlookers to see the distance increase between the giant ship and that bobbing, lonely speck far out in the waste of waters. With all the celerity possible the great steamer swung round in a circle and bore down upon the struggling swimmer, while at the same time preparations were made to lower a boat as soon as they should be near enough. "They're going to save him!" cried Mabel, half-sobbing in her excitement. "Oh, Joe, they're going to save him after all!" It seemed as though there were no doubt of this now, for the man was evidently a strong swimmer and seemed to be maintaining himself without great effort, and it was certain that within the next few minutes the boat, already filled with oarsmen and swaying at the davits, ready to be lowered, would reach him. Suddenly Clara, with a stifled scream, clutched at Jim's arm.