in readiness in
case another effort should be made to ram or board the "Restless."

"Oh, you-u-u-u!" called Joe, hailing. There was a sound in the woods,
and then Hepton came into sight.

"Did you see the man who landed on your side?" whispered Powell
Seaton, as Hepton reached the beach.

"Yes; he was just an ordinary roustabout chap," grunted Hepton,
disgustedly. "I had no orders to follow _him_, so I didn't take the
trouble."

"That's right. Jump in and we'll get aboard the 'Restless.'"

Hank had the motors working long before Joe returned with his two
passengers, and was standing by. Captain Tom was at the wheel, but
keeping the searchlight inquisitively on the Drab.

Now, the seventy-footer began to move off slowly down the coast, going
at a speed of perhaps six miles an hour. Halstead, without waiting for
orders, went in chase, keeping his place two hundred yards behind the
other craft. All the while he kept the searchlight swinging over the
Drab, from her port to starboard sides.

"That must annoy those fellows," observed Powell Seaton, with a
chuckle, as he stood by the young skipper.

"I reckon it does," returned Tom, dryly. "But it also prevents their
letting anyone off the boat without our seeing it. You see, sir,
they're only about a quarter of a mile off the coast here. Their small
boat could make a quick dash for the shore. Even a good swimmer could
go overboard. I don't intend to let anyone get off that seventy-footer
without our knowing all about it."

Halstead had not been silent long when he saw a bright flash from the
Drab, aft. It was followed, almost immediately, by the sound of a gun.
Then a bullet went by about two feet over their heads.

"That was meant for our searchlight," laughed Tom Halstead, coolly.
"Those fellows want to put it out of business."

With an ugly cry Hepton leaned over the edge of the forward
deck-house, sighting.

"Don't do that," called Captain Tom, sharply. Then he added: "I beg
your pardon, Mr. Seaton, but I don't believe you want any shooting to
come from us unless it's necessary."

"No, I don't," replied the charter-man, thoughtfully. "Dalton and
Lemly seem willing to take desperate chances, acting like pirates, in
fact. But we don't want to kill anyone, and, above all, we want to be
very sure we have the law on our side."

"They fired our way," urged Hepton, rather stubbornly. "We have a
right to defend ourselves."

"But they sent only one shot," repl