curred, and no one could predict the
final result.

Christy and Beeks went below, and seated themselves in the wardroom of
the ship. It looked as though it had been altered from the dining-saloon
of a passenger steamer for its present use. But the vessel was an
elegant affair, and Christy thought it was evident from what he saw
that she had been built for a steam-yacht by some British magnate. She
was not more than two-thirds as large as the Bellevite.

The sound of the firing indicated that the Bellevite was gaining on the
chase even more rapidly than in the morning. At the end of a couple of
hours more she seemed to be within a mile, or perhaps less. The Yazoo
was shaking in every fibre of her steel body, and it was plain that
Captain Carboneer was straining her to the utmost to effect his escape.

"It is beginning to warm up a little," said Beeks, as he tried to look
out at one of the round ports of the wardroom.

"It will be hotter than this before we see the end of it," replied
Christy. "Can you see anything?"

"Not a thing; of course the Bellevite is astern of us," added Beeks.
"But the Yazoo is not using her guns."

"How can she? She has not fired a shot for some time, and she cannot
without coming to. I should say she might as well do one thing as
another. She can't run away from the Bellevite, and she may as well
take her chances in a fight as a run."

"But the Bellevite does not seem to be handling her great gun at a very
lively rate," suggested Beeks.

"I suppose Captain Breaker wants to save all he can of the Yazoo, and
he knows that he can knock her all to pieces when he decides that it is
necessary."

"What is all that racket on deck?" asked Beeks.

"Probably they are getting a couple of stern chasers ready for use,"
answered Christy; and this explanation was soon proved to be correct by
the report of a gun at the stern of the Yazoo.

For the next half-hour, the firing from the Bellevite was more rapid,
and several crashes, produced by the striking of shot, were heard. It
was soon apparent that one of the stern chasers had been disabled; and
after a while the other ceased its noise. Beeks was so excited that
he left the wardroom, and found his way into what proved to be the
captain's cabin. More than one shot had come into it, and made no little
havoc. He found a port there through which he obtained a view of the
Bellevite. Whatever damage had been done to her, her engine was in
perfect order