the enemy.

"They're certainly getting some speed out of her," called Wink
admiringly. The rest of the company had returned to the bridge and were
watching eagerly. Tom Corwin, who had remained unaffected by the potting
of the _Follow Me's_ hull, was fighting mad now because the thieves had
lost the bow anchor, and sputtered wrathfully as he gazed over Steve's
shoulder. "If I was Harry I'd put a bullet through that door," he
muttered. "I wish someone would let me have a shot at them!"

"You couldn't hit her at this distance, with the boats swinging," said
Steve. "Wonder why it doesn't occur to them to cut away that tender.
It's taking a mile off their speed."

"Afraid of getting hit, I guess," replied Joe.

"It doesn't seem to me that we're gaining very fast."

"We're not, but we're gaining fast enough. Hello!" The _Follow Me_,
having approached the end of the island, had turned her nose to port
straight for the end of the beach. "How much does she draw, Tom?"

"Two feet and a half; same as this."

"And the chart shows two feet of water there at low tide!" exclaimed
Steve. "And it's nearly dead low now, I guess. She's taking a chance,
all right!"

The channel ran straight ahead, close to the shore of the mainland, and
if the _Follow Me's_ exploit proved successful she was due to increase
her dwindling lead by a good mile unless the _Adventurer_ accepted the
challenge and followed her example. For a minute Steve hesitated. Then:
"If she can do it, we can," he muttered, and slowly turned the wheel,
his eyes darting to the chart. "No depth shown here," he said. "Two feet
further along. Then four and seven. If we can get to the point of sand
there we're all right."

They watched the _Follow Me_ breathlessly. She was dancing almost in the
breakers now and for a long moment it seemed that she would surely pile
herself on the spit that ran seaward from the end of the island. But she
got by safely and the _Adventurer_ plunged after her. There were
strained faces on the bridge deck then and Ossie was seen to lay a
tentative hand on the cushion of the nearer seat. Steve, with grim
countenance, kept his eyes on the rollers, trying his best to follow in
the wake of the other boat. Here and there white water hinted at shoals
and it was between two of these that the _Follow Me_ had gone. Steve
eased the wheel and slowed the engine a trifle and the _Adventurer_,
rocking in the long swells that were breaking on the beach hard