Augustine.

"She went into that inlet," said Washburn.

"But there isn't water enough in it to float the Islander," I replied.

"I think she did not go in far, if at all. The wind was off shore
yesterday, and under the lee of the land there is no sea of any
consequence, except what is caused by the rollers. If the captain of
that schooner has given the time correctly, it shows that the Islander
went to sea about an hour and half before we did. That will put her
thirty miles ahead of us," Washburn explained; and his reasoning seemed
to be correct.

"The Islander put in somewhere, or she would have been two hundred and
forty miles farther on the way to Key West than we are," I added. "She
did not stand off to sea, as there was not the least need of that, for
the wind has been off shore since we came out of the St. Johns."

"I am confident we are right. Now the question is, shall we chase her?"
asked Washburn. "She is thirty miles ahead of us; and we have nearly
three hundred and fifty miles to make to reach Key West."

"There is no wind to-night to help us, and it will take as much coal to
get the two extra knots out of the Sylvania as it will to make the
ordinary and regular ten knots an hour, to say nothing of the wear and
tear of boiler and machinery," I replied, musing.

"But the Islander will get to Key West before Cornwood does, if she
puts in there, and we may miss her altogether."

"I should like to get near enough to her to watch her movements," I
added. "I think if we crowd the Sylvania for six or seven hours we
shall get a sight of her. I am inclined to hurry her."

"I am decidedly in favor of it, for she may escape her owner altogether
if we don't follow her up."

"Eight bells! All the port watch!" called Buck Lingley, who had been
relieved at the wheel.

I went on deck, and when Ben Bowman came up I told him I wanted him to
give the vessel all the steam she would carry. There was a light breeze
from the westward, but not enough to help the speed of the steamer, and
we did not put on any sail. I took my place at the wheel while Hop
Tossford was the lookout on the topgallant forecastle.

In a short time the screw began to buzz, and when Buck and Dyer Perkins
went below, after heaving the lead, the Sylvania was making eleven
knots. I expected her to do better than this. At four o'clock in the
morning, when the starboard watch were called, we were off Indian River
Inlet. Nothing had been said about