Bob Bertram, without a word, slipped down the rope, and disentangled it. A loud shout from above rewarded his valor and daring. “Quick! quick!” faintly cried Ned, now almost suffocated with smoke. “Quick, quick! I am choking! Quick, Bob, or all is lost!” With the energy of despair the sailors pulled away at the rope. Yet all the time they had to fight against the vile Skeleton Crew, who every moment were trying to cut the rope. Some were up the rigging, firing down on the brave men. Others plunged overboard, and swam away towards the shore. All was a scene of intense excitement. Yet, with a tremendous effort, Wildfire Ned kept himself alive amid the dense smoke and flames around him. With a ringing cheer he reached the deck. “Saved! saved!” said Ned, and almost fell from sheer weakness! But at that moment a low, rumbling noise like distant thunder caught the ears of all! It was the sound of a mighty torrent of water rushing into the ship’s hold. “The ship is scuttled! Away! away!” cried many voices. In a moment more the ship trembled from stem to stern. In a second she broke into halves! CHAPTER XXIV. IN WHICH PHILLIP REDGILL IS FORCED TO RAISE THE WIND TO PAY HIS DEBTS TO CAPT. JACK, AND IN WHICH THE READER BEHOLDS THE PHANTOM LEGS, AND IS INTRODUCED TO THE SKELETON BARBER. Notwithstanding his robbery of Charley Warbeck, Phillip Redgill had not near enough of money wherewith to pay the heavy debt Capt. Jack had against him. Which way to turn he knew not. “I must do ‘something,’ or I shall swing on a gibbet in less than a month’s time. “Oh, there’s no earthly hope of raising the wind ‘out of _him_,’” thought Phillip, in regard to his father, “and I know not how to manage the matter. Let me see!” and he went on with his calculations very rapidly. “How strange it is that those who _borrow_ will seldom _lend_ in return! Among all my acquaintance I know of none who at all seem inclined to accommodate me. They entertain no doubt of my honesty, so they say; but as to _lending_ a fellow a thousand or two, that is out of the question. Well, I must either post up the money or swing and lose the four hundred already gained. I have three clear days yet. I’ll have a glass of brandy and think awhile.” The brandy and a good French dinner wonderfully enlightened Mr. Phillip’s faculties, for he had but just pulled off his coat for a comfortable snooze ere a bright thought flashed across his mind. “Why didn’t I think of it before? Why, there’s old Sir Andrew, the money-lender and insurance broker! Just the man, by Jupiter! If _he_ fails, why then I’m done. I’ll go to him at once.” Old Sir Andrew was one of those “very smart” men, an insurance office president, who had sprung from nothing, but had become possessed of very large means, acquired rapidly, and none could imagine _how_.