At that moment, there burst out of
the sea a brilliant illumination that fairly blinded Madden. Shocked
into spasmodic action, the American jumped from barrel to ratlines.
He hardly knew how he got down, as much of a fall as a climb. Strange
fearsome thoughts chased through his head. The men were right about
something attacking the _Minnie B_. Now the same thing had attacked
the _Vulcan_. The _Vulcan_ would be sunk. He must rush the men
out of the galley into the small boat. He must race back to the dock.
The dock apparently was safe. What the startling apparition was, he had
no time to speculate. When he touched the deck he sprinted for the
cabin.
As he passed Gaskin the light vanished as mysteriously as it had
appeared, and left the tug in inky darkness.
Madden heard the cook give a deferential cough and then say, "Yes, sor,
Hi saw it, Mr. Madden, saw it quite plainly, sor."
A moment before Leonard reached the cabin door, someone flung the
shutter open violently and shouted his name in the utmost alarm.
"Mister Madden! Mister Madden! Come quick, sir!"
The American lunged through the dark aperture straight into the fellow's
arms. In the darkness he could not make out who it was.
"Don't be afraid! Did you see it? Where are the rest of the men?"
"In the galley, sir, with him!" stammered the sailor,
"Are they in a funk?" gasped Madden, feeling that he himself was in one.
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