ay up," said Steve.
"I'll keep the wheel and Joe will stay here with me. Phil, you take the
watch for a couple of hours and then wake someone else."

"Huh!" said Perry. "I'm not going to bed! Who wants to sleep, anyway?"

Apparently no one did, for although presently the dozen fellows were
distributed over the boat, not one went below. Phil and Han stretched
themselves out at the bow, Steve, Joe, Harry and Tom Corwin and Cas
Temple remained on the bridge deck and the rest of the company retired
to the cockpit, from where, by looking along the after cabin roof, they
had a satisfactory view of the course. Perhaps one or two of the boys
did nod a little during the next two hours, but real slumber was far
from the minds of any of them. The _Adventurer_ was doing a good twenty
miles an hour, the propeller lashing the water into a long foaming path
that melted astern in the moonlight. Ossie busied himself in the galley
about midnight and served hot coffee and bread-and-butter sandwiches.
Only once was the _Adventurer_ changed from her course, which Steve had
laid for Gloucester, and then the light which had aroused their
suspicions was soon seen to belong to a coasting schooner beating her
way toward Boston. Of small boats there were none until, at about one
o'clock, when the two white lights of Baker's Island lay west by north
and the red flash on Eastern Point showed almost dead ahead, Phil called
from the bow.

"Steve, there's something ahead that looks like a boat or a rock. Can
you see it?"

"Which side?"

"A little to the left. Port, isn't it? Han doesn't see it, but--"

"I've got it," answered Steve. After a moment he added with conviction:
"It's a boat. Has she changed her position, Phil?"

"Not while I've been watching. Looks as if she was going about the same
way we are." The others came clustering forward from the stern to stare
across the water at the dark spot ahead which, in the uncertain light of
the setting moon, might be almost anything. If it was a boat, it showed
no light. Anxiously the boys watched, and after a few minutes Steve
announced with quiet triumph:

"We're pulling up on her, fellows, whoever she is!"

"She's the _Follow Me_," declared Harry Corwin. "She must be, or she
wouldn't be running without lights."

"We'll know before long," said Steve. "I wish the moon would stay out a
little longer, though. Joe, try the searchlight and see if you can pick
her up."

But the craft ahead was a