their might,
but stopping instantly in utter astonishment, for they were in perfect
ignorance of the distance having been put between them, all being
invisible in the darkness which followed the shutting off of the light.

There was another yell now, and plunging their paddles in again, the
water once more flashed and foamed in the brilliant light.

Then there was a stroke on the engine-room gong down below, and the
propeller began to revolve; two more strokes, directly after, another
three, and the yacht gathered more and more way till she was rushing on
full speed ahead, her light, like a brilliant star, hiding everything
behind her, and apparently just above the surface of the water, bearing
rapidly down for the centre of the little fleet of canoes.

On she went, and as she neared the rate at which the paddles were used
increased in speed too, but it was to get out of the way, for the
steersmen turned off to starboard and port, and though the slightest
turn of the wheel would have sent the _Silver Star_ crashing through
either of the canoes the captain had chosen to select, she was steered
straight through the little fleet till she was three or four hundred
yards astern, and the canoes were invisible in the darkness. Then by a
clever manoeuvre she was swung round in very little more than her own
length, the light which had been shut off as soon as they passed being
opened upon the enemy again, and the occupants of the deck saw the two
pairs of canoes now lying waiting as if undecided.

Once more the order to go on full speed rang out, and the yacht was
steered for the nearest canoe.

No movement was made at first, but the moment the enemy made out that
the light was rushing silently at them again, they uttered a wild shout
of horror and dismay and began to paddle as hard as they could for the
opening in the reef, to escape from the fiery star that had dropped from
the heavens and was now chasing them to burn them up.

Ignorance and fear went hand in hand, for there was the dazzling star
but nothing more to be seen. There might have been no yacht in
existence for all they could tell. It was enough that the fiery light
like a great eye was fixed upon them in full pursuit, and away they
went, faster probably than canoes ever travelled before, till the dark
portion was reached where there were no breakers, and the leading canoe
rushed out, followed by the others, and away to sea, horror-stricken at
the great my