are, if anything, a little ahead, but they will soon pass
us, I should think."

"Oh, Ron," cried Myra, with childish excitement, "don't let them beat
us. Angus, put some life into her. We _must_ make the harbour first."

Angus did his best, and I set her course as near in shore as I dared
on that treacherous coast. The _Baltimore_ glided out to sea with the
easy grace of a powerful and beautiful animal, and as we passed the
jagged promontory she was coming up about thirty yards behind us.

"Challenge him, Ron," Myra exclaimed; "you've met him."

I turned, and saw Hilderman and two other men in the boat, one a
friend apparently, and the other the mechanic. I stood up and waved to
him.

"We'll race you to Mallaig," I shouted.

"It's a bet," he agreed readily, at the top of his voice, waving back.

It was a ding-dong business across the mouth of Nevis, and the
_Baltimore_ was leading, if anything, but we had not far to go, and
our opponents had taken a course a good deal farther out to sea than
we were. Coming up by the lighthouse, however, the _Baltimore_ drew in
at a magnificent pace, and swept in to pass inside the lighthouse
rock. Hilderman, who was quite distinct at the short distance, stood
up in the stern of the _Baltimore_, and looked at us. We were making
good time, but we had no chance of outdistancing his powerful boat.
But, as he looked at us, and was evidently about to shout some
triumphant greeting, I saw him catch sight of Myra, lying at my feet,
her face hidden in the shade over her eyes. Suddenly, without the
slightest warning, he swung the tiller, and, turning out again, took
the long course round the lighthouse, and we slid alongside the
fish-table a good minute ahead of him. Myra was delighted; she had no
suspicion that we had virtually lost the race, and the trifling
excitement gave her a real pleasure. Angus, I could see, was puzzled,
but I signed to him to say nothing. My heart warmed to Hilderman; he
had seen that Myra was not well, and, divining that it would give her
some pleasure to win the race, he had tactfully given way to us. I was
really grateful to him for his kindly thought, and determined to thank
him as soon as I could. We had nearly half an hour to wait for the
mid-day train, and, after seeing Myra and Mary safely ensconced in the
Marine Hotel, I went out with Sholto to get the tickets, telegraph to
Dennis, and express my gratitude to Hilderman. But when I stepped out
of the hot