With a smashing and crashing of wood the heavy motor boat practically cut the rowboat in two, forcing it beneath the surface and passing over it, and more quickly than it has taken to relate it the five boys were thrown into the sea. * * * * * * * * * [Illustration: How the accident occurred] How the accident occurred 1. B is the position of the rowboat when the motor boat A came under the stern along dotted line, heading directly at rowboat. Tommy pulled on wrong rope and sent his boat in direction of B’. It can be seen the coxswain steered in the same direction and the boats smashed at the point B’. The motor boat stopped about A’. 2. The diagram illustrates also the manner of designating the directions of objects from the ship by lookouts. Example: A sailboat at "C." The lookout would call out "Sailboat, Broad on Port Bow" or he might say "Four Points on Port Bow." * * * * * * * * * Dick Comstock, coming first to the surface, looked about him for his companions. The motor boat was now about fifty yards away; her engine had stopped and her crew were looking anxiously towards the spot where the accident had taken place. As Dick shook the water from his eyes and ears, he heard the voice of the coxswain answering a question apparently addressed him by someone from the deck of the flagship. "I can’t reverse my engines, sir. Something fouling the propellor," he called out. By this time Dick saw the bobbing heads of Robert, Donald and Gordon not far from him. "Where’s Tommy?" called Dick, anxiously, trying to rise from the water as far as possible in his endeavor to sight the missing boy. To these four lads the choppy sea meant nothing, in spite of the fact they were fully clothed when so suddenly upset. But in Tommy’s case it was a far different matter, for, as has been stated, Tommy, though a plucky little fellow, was unable to swim. The wrecked rowboat had floated some distance away and with one accord the four boys swam rapidly towards it in the hope that Tommy might be found clinging to the débris. Meanwhile on the deck of the battleship there was great excitement. A life-boat was being quickly lowered from its davits and active sailors were piling into it. The starboard life-lines of the quarter-deck were lined with men in white uniforms and dungarees, for many of the engine room force had been attracted to the deck to witness the episode though they were not allowed there on ordinary occasions in that attire, and also there was a sprinkling of marines in khaki. Shouts, signals and directions were coming from all sides, while two of the motor boat’s crew were already in the water swimming back towards the boys to lend them aid if necessary.