ao.

"Is she a fast boat?" he asked when _The Firefly_ cleared the Channel.

"Nearly as fast as this craft," replied Mark Dane, who was at his elbow.
"She was built for speed."

"H'm," said the captain; "it's stormy weather, and her speed will depend
a good deal on the way she is handled. I don't expect she'll do much in
the Bay."

Evidently Calthorpe was not going to let his boat be beaten by an
outsider. He had never heard of _The Red Cross_, and believed _The
Firefly_ to be one of the smartest crafts afloat. The weather was dirty,
and when the gallant little boat lifted the Atlantic waves they were
running mountains high. But Calthorpe drove his vessel sheer through
them, and never slackened his speed for all their fury. And now it must
be explained how Dane came to be on board. The explanation may be given
in his own words to Giles.

"When I left you in London, sir," he said, "I wondered where Morley had
taken Miss Anne. From what I knew I guessed that he would not carry her
to the Priory at Rickwell. It then struck me that he might use the
yacht. Since Steel took up the case she has changed her name and her
appearance, for Morley and Denham were both afraid lest she might be
found out. The gang of course know nothing of my intention to smash up
the organization, and I knew that I could get all information from one
of them. I sent a wire to this man--he's called Arden--and received
information that the boat was at Gravesend by Morley's orders, under the
name of _The Dark Horse_."

"Rather a good name," said Ware, smiling. "Morley is something of a
humorist."

"He's a devil!" said Dane fiercely. "I'll tell you my reason for saying
so later, sir. I went to Gravesend and found her lying in mid-stream. I
went on board and learned that Morley was away, but that the boat was to
sail shortly for some unknown destination."

"Where was Morley?"

"Up in town, sir, getting his money together to make tracks. I found
Miss Anne on board. She told me that Morley had suggested they should
get to Rickwell by the Gravesend line, and she, not thinking any harm of
him and anxious to see Denham and learn the truth about her dead father,
agreed. He took her down and drugged her in the train. As an invalid she
was taken on board _The Dark Horse_ and confined to her cabin. A hag
called Mrs. Johns attended to her. I know the old wretch. A regular bad
one; but devoted to Morley, who got her out of some trouble."

"Why did you no