"Cut it!" cried the girl. "Don't stop to cast off."

There was a hail from the beach-combers; the port sweeps dipped
and the junk bore up nearer.

"Hurry!" shouted Moran, "don't mind them. Are we clear for'ard--
what's the trouble? Something's holding her." The schooner listed
slowly to starboard and settled by the head.

"All clear!" cried Wilbur.

"There's something wrong!" exclaimed Moran; "she's settling
for'ard." Hoang hailed the schooner a second time.

"We're still settling," called Wilbur from the bows, "what's the
matter?"

"Matter that she's taking water," answered Moran wrathfully.
"She's started something below, what with all that lifting and
dancing and tricing up."

Wilbur ran back to the quarterdeck.

"This is a bad fix," he said to Moran. "Those chaps are coming
aboard again. They're on to something, and, of course, at just
this moment she begins to leak."

"They are after that ambergris," said Moran between her teeth.
"Smelled it, of course--the swine!"