rder was
obeyed in an instant.

The boat flew up to an even keel almost as though she had been hoisted
up by some giant power.

"That is how I should keep her from shipping a big sea," said Scott, as
he looked at his companion with a smile on his brown face.

"I give it up, Captain Scott. Of course you know what you are about
every time, and I won't say a word again about the boat. But suppose you
were not looking when the flaw came?"

"It is not necessary to be looking; for a skipper steers more by the
feeling of the boat than by sight. Make fast the sheet, Clingman."

The Blanchita went ahead again; and by this time she was abreast of the
Delhi, and gaining upon her. Captain Rayburn was on his quarter-deck.

"Don't run away from me, and I won't run away from you!" he shouted.

But he had hardly spoken before a noise like the distant report of a
cannon was heard on board of the yacht.

"He has split his fore squaresail; and if his game was not up before, it
is now," said Captain Scott. "The sail was old and rotten, and I don't
believe he would have attempted to carry it except on an occasion like
the present."

"He was a little too pronounced when he expressed his fears that the
Blanchita would not be able to keep up with him, and I fancy he is sorry
he said anything about it by this time," added Louis.

The split sail could not be repaired at once; and if it could it was not
strong enough to be of any use in the fresh breeze. The crew took it in
at once, the yard being lowered to enable them to do so. The captain of
the yacht ordered the engineer to reduce his speed to the ordinary rate,
though the sail was not furled. Between the steam and the wind the
Blanchita ran ahead of the Delhi. The sheet was slacked off as far as it
could be without permitting the sail to shake, and the two craft kept
well together the rest of the day, passing Great Natuna Island at four
in the afternoon.

The captain took the sun at noon, and worked up the position of the
boat. The run from the mouth of the Sarawak at that time was two hundred
and four sea miles.

CHAPTER XVII

THE END OF THE VOYAGE TO BANGKOK

The routine of daily duty on board of the Blanchita has been given; and
after the race in the China Sea had proved that she could run away from
the Delhi, there was no further excitement on the voyage. On the
contrary, it was rather monotonous, and there were no incidents worthy
of record. After passing Great