s that
could blow us out of the water without thinking of it. Fair orders I
took, and fair orders I'll obey."

"That's quite right, Roderick," I said; "there's no reason now why we
shouldn't go straight on--if we don't meet with anyone to ask questions
on the way; of that I'm not so sure, though."

"Nor I," said the skipper meaningly, and waiting for me to add more;
but I did not mean to gratify him, and we all went out on deck again
after we had agreed to let him have his will. We found the first
officer on the bridge, looking away to the south-east, where the black
hull of a steamer was now showing full. I do not know that the distant
sight of a ship was anything to cause remark, but as I looked at her, I
noticed that she steamed at a fearful speed, and she showed no smoke
from her funnels.

"Skipper," I said, "will you look at that hull? Isn't the boat making
uncommon headway?"

He took a long gaze, and then he spoke--

"You're right. She's going more than twenty knots."

"And straight towards us."

"As you say."

"Is there anything remarkable about that?"

He took another sight, and when he turned to me again he had no colour
in his face.

"I've seen that ship before," he said.

"Where?" asked Roderick laconically.

"Five days ago, when she fired a shell into the _Ocean King_."

"In that case," said I, "there isn't much doubt about her intentions:
she's chasing us!"

"That may or may not be," he replied, as he raised his glass again,
"but she's the same ship, I'll wager my life. Look at the rake of
her--and the lubbers, they've left some of their bright metal showing
amidships!"

He indicated the deck-house by the bridge, where my glass showed me a
shining spot in the cloak of black, for the sun fell upon the place,
and reflected from it as from a mirror of gold. There was no longer any
doubt: we were pursued by the nameless ship, and, if no help fell to
us, I shuddered to think what the end might be.

"What are you going to do, skipper?" asked Roderick, as gloom fell upon
the three of us; and we stood together, each man afraid to tell the
others all he thought.

"What, am I going to do?" said he. "I'm going to see the boats cleared,
and all hands in the stoke-hole that have the right there"; and then he
sang out, "Stand by!" and the men swarmed up from below, and heard the
order to clear the boats. They obeyed unquestioningly; but I doubt not
that they were no less uneasy than we were; and,