this new piece filled out, it proved to be a great balloon jib, which
increased her sail area by nearly half. Her head came off the wind again
and she went bowing along over the swells to the southward faster than
one would have imagined possible. Bonnet had figured on crossing her at
close range, but as she swept onward he realized that he would go by too
far astern to hail her if he kept his present direction. Herriot himself
took the tiller. As quickly as he could, without loss of headway, he
eased the _Royal James_ over till she was running nearly parallel with
the fleeing ship. His orders came quick and fast, while the men trimmed
the main and fore sheets to the last hair's breadth of perfection. It
was to be a race, and a hard one.

For nearly half an hour the sloops ran along almost neck and neck and
perhaps half a mile apart. The pirates dared not risk pointing closer to
the wind in order to get into cannon range. They would have lost so much
speed that it would have developed into a stern chase--useless since
they possessed only broadside batteries. The best they could do was to
hold their position, hoping for luck in the wind.

Bonnet scowled awhile at the British Jack that still flew from the
_James's_ top, then went below and brought up the black pirate flag. The
buccaneers, now all assembled on deck, gave it a cheerful howl of
greeting as it fluttered up to the main truck. "Now we'll catch 'em,
lads!" roared Herriot, and they answered him with a second cheer.

For once, however, the Jolly Roger seemed to bring bad fortune instead
of good. The wind had hardly swept it easily to leeward once when it
fell back against the shrouds, hardly stirring. The pirate sloop's deck
righted slowly and her limp sails drooped from the gaffs. A sudden flaw
in the breeze had settled about her, without interrupting her rival's
progress in the least. A glum despair came over the crew. They lolled,
for the most part silent or grumbling curses, against the rails, with
here and there one trying to whistle up a wind. The other sloop rapidly
drew away to the south.

Bonnet had been talking to Herriot with quick gestures and pointings.
Now he walked forward swiftly and the men got to their feet with a jump.
"We'll board the prize yet," said the Captain short and sharp. "Now look
alive--every one of you!" He ordered one squad of men to the hold for
spars, another for rope, a third for a spare mainjib. Meanwhile he set
two men to