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.
They had just gained the stern and were looking over when a call came from out of the darkness.
"He--help! Help!" "It's Tom!" screamed Dick in delight.