had fired at him every time he had shown himself.

The _Monterey_ started southward towards the point where they had last
seen the yacht and the _Dunkery Beacon_, and the pirate ship, veering
off to the south-east, steamed slowly away. The people on board of her
were looking everywhere for Banker, for without him they knew not what
they ought to do, but if their leader ever came up from the great depth
to which he had sunk with Mok's black hands upon his throat, his
comrades were not near the spot where, dead or alive, he floated to the
surface.

CHAPTER XXXI

"SHE BACKED!"

When Captain Burke observed the _Dunkery Beacon_ steaming in his
direction, and soon afterwards perceived a signal on this steamer to the
effect that she wished to speak with the yacht, he began to hope that he
was going to get out of his difficulties. The natural surmise was that
as one of the pirates had gone to join another just arriving upon the
scene, the _Dunkery Beacon_--the Captain and crew of which must have
turned traitors--was now coming to propose some arrangement, probably to
give up Shirley if the yacht would agree to go its way and cease its
harassing interference.

If this proposition should be made, Burke and Mrs. Cliff, in conference,
decided to accept it. They had done all they could, and would return to
Kingston to report to Captain Horn what they had done, and what they had
discovered. But it was not long before the people on the yacht began to
wonder very much at the conduct of the great steamer which was now
rapidly approaching them, apparently under full head of steam.

The yacht was lying to, her engines motionless, and the _Dunkery Beacon_
was coming ahead like a furious ram on a course, which, if not quickly
changed, would cause her to strike the smaller vessel almost amidships.
It became plainer and plainer every second that the Dunkery did not
intend to change her course, and that her object was to run down the
yacht.

Why the _Dunkery Beacon_ should wish to ram the _Summer Shelter_ nobody
on board the yacht considered for a moment, but every one, even Willy
Croup, perceived the immediate necessity of getting out of the way.
Burke sprang to the wheel, and began to roar his orders in every
direction. His object was to put the yacht around so that he could get
out of the course of the _Dunkery Beacon_ and pass her in the opposite
direction to which she was going, but nobody on board seemed to be
sufficient