Then,
watching his chance, he darted into the forecastle.
"Hullo, the rail is broken!" he heard the captain exclaim. "Bring a
lantern here, quick!"
A sailor came running with a lantern, which lit up the narrow circle
of the deck near the rail and part of the sea beyond.
"Somebody gave a cry," said the captain, to those who began to gather.
"Looks to me as if the rail gave way and let somebody overboard."
"Tom Rover was on deck," came from old Jerry. "Do you reckon as how
it was him?"
"I don't know. It was somebody, that's certain. Call all hands at once."
This was done, and Dan Baxter had to come out with the rest. He was
pale and trembled so he could scarcely stand.
"All here," said Captain Blossom. "Must have been one of the Rover
boys or one of the young ladies."
Word was passed along and soon Sam and Dick came rushing on deck.
"Tom is missing!" cried Sam.
"If that is so, I'm afraid, boys, you have seen the last of your
brother," said Captain Blossom. He turned to his crew. "Do any of
you know anything of this affair?"
There was a dead silence. Then he questioned the man at the wheel.
"Don't know a thing, cap'n," was the answer.
"It's queer. He must have pressed on the rail very hard.. Here are
half a dozen nails torn from the wood."
While this talk was going on Dick and Sam had passed along the rail
from the place of the accident to the stern.
"Perhaps he caught hold somewhere," said Sam, who was unwilling to
believe that his brother had really perished.
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