Another shot now rang out, aimed at a third lantern, but the light was not struck. By this time Martin Harris made the discovery that the mainsail was on fire in two places, while the jib was also suffering. "This is getting hot!" he cried, when Carter opened up fire at random, determined to do what he could. A yell and a groan followed, and then all became quiet, and firing on both sides was over. Fortunately for Sam, the flames upon his person were quickly extinguished, and all the lad really suffered was the ruin of his trousers and an ugly blister on the calf of his leg. But he was badly scared, and when it was over he had almost to be carried to the cabin. In the meantime Martin Harris procured several pails of water and a long-handled swab and with these did what he could to extinguish the fire on the sails. Several of the others joined in, and inside of ten minutes all danger of a conflagration was past. "That's the worst yet!" growled the old sailor, as he surveyed the mainsail, which had two holes in it each is large as a barrel. "I'd like to wring the neck of the fellow as did it, yes I would," and he shook his head determinedly. "That's the end of that light," said Sergeant Brown. "What are you going to do next?" "I think I can get that searchlight to work," put in Dick. "But will it be of any use? They may start to shooting again." "We've got to have some kind of a light, even if it's only a tallow candle," grumbled Harris. "If we haven't got a light some coastwise steamer may run us down." He set to work to rig up a temporary light, and in the meantime Dick returned to the cabin to experiment with the electric light. He found Sam on the couch, bathing his leg with oil to take away the sting of the bum. "How is it, Sam--hurt much?" "I suppose it might be worse," was the younger brother's reply. "I wonder who fired that shot?" "One of the Baxters, more than likely. They are a cold-blooded pair." "One or more of us might have been killed if we had been directly behind the lights." "That is true. I don't suppose Arnold Baxter would care much if we were. He was father's enemy, you must remember, and he said he hated all of us." Sam resumed his bathing and Dick turned to the cabin table, upon which the battery and other portions of the searchlight rested. Dick had always been greatly interested in electricity and therefore the parts of the battery before him were not hard for him to understand. But there was one trouble with the battery which did not reach his eye as he turned it around and started it up. That was that a portion of the insulation of a main wire was worn off. As he turned on the current there was a flash and the light blazed up almost as bright as day. "That's fine!" cried Sam. "We'll be able to see the _Flyaway_ a long distance off now." "Well, I only hope when we put this up it won't be knocked out like the other lights were." "Of course we'll have to run that risk."