determined
to get near enough to hail the _Dunkery Beacon_ and speak to her. So he
got round on her weather quarter, and easily overtaking her, he brought
the _Summer Shelter_ as near to the other vessel as he considered it
safe to do. Then he hailed her, "_Dunkery Beacon_, ahoy! Is that Captain
Hagar?"

The wind was too strong for the Captain of the other vessel to answer
through his trumpet, but he signalled assent. Then Burke informed him
that he wished him to lay to in order that he might send a boat on
board; that he had very important orders to Captain Hagar from his
owners, and that he had followed him from Jamaica in order to deliver
them. For some time there was no answer whatever to these loudly
bellowed remarks, and the two vessels kept on side by side.

"Anyway," said Burke to Mr. Burdette, "she can see that we're a lot
faster than she is, and that she can't get away from us!"

"It may be that she's afraid of us," said the mate, "and thinks we're
one of the pirates."

"That can't be," said Burke, "for she doesn't know anything about the
pirates! I'll hail her again, and tell her what we are, and what our
business is. I think it won't be long before she lays to just to see
what we want."

Sure enough, in less than fifteen minutes the _Dunkery Beacon_ signalled
that she would lay to, and before long the two vessels, their engines
stopped and their heads to the wind, lay rising and falling on the
waves, and near enough to speak to each other.

"Now, then, what do you want?" shouted the Captain of the _Dunkery_.

"I want to send a boat aboard with an important message from Blackburn!"

After a few minutes the answer came, "Send a boat!"

Orders were given to lower one of the yacht's boats, and it was agreed
that Shirley ought to be the man to go over to the _Dunkery Beacon_.
"Who do you want to go with you?" asked Burke.

"Nobody but the boat's crew," he answered. "I can explain things better
by myself. Captain Hagar seems to be an obstinate fellow, and it won't
be easy to turn him back on his course. But if I want anybody to stand
by me and back me up in what I say, you might let some of the clergymen
come over. He might believe them, and wouldn't me. But I'll talk to him
first by myself."

Every member of the Synod declared that he was perfectly willing to go
to the other vessel if he should be needed, and Mrs. Cliff assured Burke
that if she could be of any good in making the Captain of the _Dun