ed for quick decision.

If Lieutenant Overton ordered the tug back to the pier and remained
where he was, he would be but obeying explicit orders. No blame could
afterward attach to him, no matter how many boats got across.

At the same time the young Army officer knew that he was stationed here
for the express purpose of preventing any arms being smuggled over to
Mexico.

"Even though I capture a boat with ten thousand stands of arms aboard,"
flashed swiftly through the Army boy's mind, "Captain Foster can still
say that I disobeyed orders. Yet if I obey orders there's no telling
what mischief may be done."

"Yet it seems to me that, when I am set to watch a violation of the
national law, my first duty is to try to catch any one who attempts to
violate the law," quivered the lieutenant.

Suddenly Hal turned to the mate.

"Go ahead, man--full speed! Catch that boat yonder!"

No reply did the mate make, but he rang one bell for half-speed ahead.
This he presently followed with the signal for full speed. The tug's
propeller churned the water astern. For a craft of this kind the tug was
now moving fast. Hal steadily held the ray of the search-light on the
stranger.

"Can't you hump a little more speed out of this tub?" the young officer
demanded.

"I can't signal for any more," replied the mate, his hands on the spokes
of the wheel. "Why don't you ask the engineer?"

Young Overton quickly summoned a soldier and sent him to the engineer
with a message calling for more speed. After another minute the increase
in speed was easily discernible.

"But that boat's getting away from us," cried Lieutenant Overton, with
irritation in his voice.

"Of course she is," spoke the mate gruffly. "I could have told you that
she'd show us a clean pair of heels."

"What craft is she?"

"I don't know," the mate replied.

"Then how do you know she can beat us?"

"By her build. She's a costly gasoline boat, and such craft usually have
high-power engines in 'em."

Hal sent another message to the engineer, who, however, sent back word
that he was doing the best he could until draft made the fires under the
boiler hotter.

"Is the engineer dealing frankly with me, mate?" Hal asked.

"I think he is. The engineer hasn't any object in seeing you lose this
race."

"We're losing it all right, anyway," grunted the young officer, noting
the rapidly increasing distance between pursuer and pursued.

"There ain't really any use i