It had all happened with the speed of light. There was a moment of stunned surprise, a gasp from the crowd, and then a roar went up that swelled into a deafening thunder of applause. Joe had reversed the baseball rule of "three strikes and out." This time it was just one strike--and the shark was out! CHAPTER XIX BRAXTON JOINS THE PARTY The passengers crowded around Joe in wild delight and exhilaration, reaching for his hand, pounding him on the back, vociferous in their praise and congratulations, until he was almost ready to pray to be rescued from his friends. Mabel, starry-eyed, slipped a hand within his arm and the pressure was eloquent. Jim almost wrenched his arm from the shoulder, and Clara hugged her brother openly. Naturally, Joe's great feat appealed especially to the baseball players of the party. They felt that he had honored the craft to which they belonged. He had justified his reputation as the star pitcher of the country, and they felt that they shared in the reflected glory. "Great Scott, Joe!" beamed Larry. "You put it all over his sharklet that time." "Straight over the plate!" chuckled Burkett. "Against the rules, though," grinned Denton. "You know that the 'bean ball' is barred." The rescued man had now been brought on board. He had been too excited and confused to understand how he had been snatched from the jaws of death--and such a death! He proved to be a member of the crew, a Lascar, whose knowledge of the English language was limited, and whose ignorance of the great national game was fathomless. But when he had recovered and had learned the name of his rescuer, he sought Joe out and thanked him in accents that were none the less sincere because broken and imperfect, and from that time on throughout the trip he was almost doglike in his devotion. A few days more and the ship reached Hawaii, that far-flung outpost of Uncle Sam's dominions, which breaks the long ocean journey between America and Japan. The hearts of the tourists leaped as the ship drew near the harbor and they caught sight of the Stars and Stripes, floating proudly in the breeze. "I never knew how I loved that flag before," cried Mabel enthusiastically. "The most beautiful flag that floats," chimed in Clara. "The flag that stands for liberty everywhere," remarked Jim. "Yes," was Joe's tribute. "The flag that when it has gone up anywhere has never been pulled down." As the ship drew near the shore the beauty of the island paradise brought exclamations of delight from the passengers who thronged the steamer's rails. The harbor was a scene of busy life and animation. The instant the ship dropped anchor she was surrounded by native boats, paddled by Hawaiian youngsters, who indulged in exhibitions of diving and swimming that were a revelation of skill. "They've got it all over the fishes when it comes to swimming," remarked Jim with a grin. "Cough up all your spare coin, Joe, and see these little beggars dive for it."