line?" inquired Phil.

"Go in and take it!"

"And, as like as not, get shot full of holes! No, thanks!" This from
"Brownie."

"How would it do for some of us to land and keep out of sight and come
around back of them?" asked Cas Temple.

"What are we going to do with them if we catch them?" Tom Corwin wanted
to know. "Take them back and hand them over to the police?"

"I don't believe they'll let us catch them," answered Phil. "Either
they'll take to that small boat they've got astern there or they'll try
to make a dash past us."

[Illustration: "It is!" he cried. "We've got her, fellows!"]

"Much good that would do them!" Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The
_Adventurer_ can sail all around our boat."

"We're not getting anywhere," observed Steve, who had been all the while
watching the other craft attentively. "And they've seen us at last, for
they're looking over the top of the cabin."

"Well, let's do something," said Perry, who was back with the two
revolvers and as many boxes of cartridges. "Can they go the other way or
do they have to pass us to get out of this place, Steve?"

"They can go the other way for about five miles according to the chart,
but they can't get out. There's a bridge there. And, anyway, I guess
it's only navigable for small boats at high tide. Perry, for the love of
lemons, drop those things and let them alone."

"They aren't loaded," said Perry, injuredly.

"That's the kind that always blow your head off. Well, what's the
decision, fellows?"

Everyone talked at once for a minute, and, at last, Phil said: "Why not
do the natural thing and ask for our boat? Why let them think that we
expect trouble? Perhaps when they see that the game's up they'll give in
sensibly."

"That's the idea," agreed Harry and most of the rest. "Let's breeze
right up to them and talk big."

"We'll never get the _Follow Me_ by lying here, anyway," said Steve,
turning to the wheel. "Get your anchor up, Han. Give him a hand,
someone. Wink, open a box of those cartridges and load the revolvers,
will you? But keep them out of Perry's way! All right now. Settle down,
fellows, and we'll try a bluff."

The _Adventurer_ went on and the distance between the two boats lessened
rapidly. They could see two men watching them over the top of the cabin,
but there was no sign of alarm visible aboard the _Follow Me_. When the
_Adventurer_ was almost opposite the black cruiser Steve threw out the
clutch, turned the wh