"May I speak with your watch officer?" he called.

"I am the commanding officer," Mr. Mayhew called down, in the cold, even,
dulled voice of a man in trouble.

"I am Mr. Farnum, owner of the yard. May I come on board?"

"Be glad to have you," Lieutenant Commander Mayhew responded.

So Mr. Farnum went nimbly up over the side.

"May I ask what is the trouble here, sir?" asked the yard's owner.

"The trouble is," replied Mr. Mayhew, "that your enterprising boy pilot
has run us aground--hard, tight and fast!"

Jacob Farnum glanced swiftly at his young captain. Jack shook his head
briefly in dissent. Jacob Farnum, with full confidence in his young
man, at once understood that there was more yet to be learned.

"Come up on the bridge, sir, if you will," requested the commander of
the gunboat, who was a man of too good breeding to wish any dispute
before the men of the crew. "You may come, too, Benson."

Jack followed the others, including the engineer officer of the "Hudson."
Yet Benson was clenching his hands, fighting a desperate battle to get
full command over himself. It was hard--worse than hard--to be
unjustly accused.