elief of Ossie, whose preparations for dinner had not been made
easier by having to dive under the table every time he sought the
ice-chest, and posted him at a port in the forward cabin. "If they won't
give up," he explained, "we'll have to go on plugging them. I'll take
it in the other cabin. Better fire first from one port then from
another. That'll keep them guessing. It's just as well for them not to
know that we've got only two pieces of artillery!"

"All right," said Harry, "but there's no use staying here now, is there?
There's nothing in sight but a sea-gull!"

"No, but be ready when we get abreast, Harry. I think that gun pulls to
the right a little. You might watch it."

Wink returned to the deck, followed by Harry as far as the companion,
and looked forward at the _Follow Me_. Since he had gone below the
positions of the boats had altered noticeably, and now, had he wished,
he might easily have put a bullet through the mahogany door beyond the
cockpit. Steve was bearing seaward a little, intending to run up on the
starboard side of the black cruiser.

"I'll bet they're doing a whole lot of thinking about now," said
"Brownie." "Guess I'll go down and sit on the floor again. They'll be
able to plug us in another minute or so."

"You'd all better beat it," said Steve. "If the bullets begin to fly
again someone will get hurt."

Slowly but certainly the bow of the _Adventurer_ crept up on the
_Follow Me's_ stern. Some sixty feet of water divided them. Beyond the
black cruiser lay the long yellow beach, dazzling in the noonday
sunlight. Suddenly the _Follow Me's_ bow turned straight for the
breakers and Steve gave a cry.

CHAPTER XV

SURRENDER

"They're going to run her ashore!" shouted Steve.

He slid out the clutch, throttled down the engine and swung the boat's
nose to starboard as the others piled back to the deck. The _Adventurer_
swept around in a long circle while the _Follow Me_, churning the
shoaling water into white froth, ran straight for the shore.

"Gosh, what a mess!" groaned Harry Corwin. "We'll never get her off
there!"

Steve made no answer, nor did the others. They were all watching that
wild rush of the black cruiser. On and on she went, rising and falling
with the gentle swells, until it looked as though she must surely be
churning the sand with her hurrying screw. Suddenly the cabin doors flew
open and three men, one hatless and with a white towel bound around his
head,