"You may as well give up," shouted back the police sergeant. "You are bound to be caught sooner or later." "We don't think go. If it comes to the worst, remember, we can do a heap of fighting." "We can fight too," was the grim response. "Dora! Dora! Are you safe?" shouted Sam, with all the strength of his youthful lungs. "Save me!" came back the cry. "Don't let them carry me further away." "We'll do our best, don't fear." Dora wanted to say more, but was prevented from doing so by Mumps, who again hurried her below. "You must lock her up," he said to Mrs. Goss, and once more the unhappy girl found herself a prisoner in the cabin. She had hoped for much during the chase along shore, but now her heart sank like a lump of lead and she burst into tears. "No use of crying," said Mrs. Goss. "It won't help you a bit." "I want to be free!" sobbed Dora. "Where will they take me?" "Never mind; you just be quiet and wait." "But you are running directly out into the ocean!" "What of that?" "I don't wish to go." "You'll have to take what comes, as I told you before." "Mrs. Goss, have you no pity for me?" "If I did have it wouldn't do you any good, Miss Dora. I've got to do as the men folks want me to do. If I don't they'll make--" The woman did not finish what she was saying. A loud report rang out on deck, followed by the distant crash of glass. Then came a yell, followed by another report and more crashing of glassware. "What can that mean?" burst out Dora, but instead of answering her, Mrs. Goss bounced out of the cabin, locking the door after her, and hurried to the deck. CHAPTER XXV A SHOT FROM THE DARKNESS The shots which had reached Dora's ears had come from a gun in the hands of Arnold Baxter. The man had been enraged at the sight of the lantern on the mast of the _Searchlight_, and, taking careful aim, had sent a charge of shot into the affair, smashing globe, reflector, and tin cup, and scattering the oil in all directions. "Hurrah, I struck it!" shouted Arnold Baxter gleefully. "Now they won't see us quite so plainly." "Knock out the other lantern, pop," put in Dan Baxter, and the parent turned in the second barrel of the shotgun with equal success. For an instant the deck of the _Searchlight_ seemed to be in darkness. Sam felt a bit of hot glass strike him on the cheek and raised his hand to brush it off. Then he felt something warm on the back of his leg. Looking down he saw to his horror that some of the oil from the lantern had fallen on him and that it was ablaze! "Help! Help!" he shrieked. "I'm burning up!" His cry alarmed everybody, and all, even Dick and Tom, came rushing to his aid. But Sergeant Brown was first, and he promptly threw the boy down flat and, whipping off his coat, began to beat out the flames.