r sail, so that the boat
rushed through the water, and our hopes rose high, far we felt that in
less than an hour we should be alongside our goal; but soon after Gunson
would utter an impatient ejaculation, for the wind that sent us surging
through the beautiful waters of the bay, sent the schooner along rapidly
too, so that she grew more faint.

Once or twice I glanced back at the shore, to see how beautiful the town
looked with its lights rising above lights, and all softened and subdued
in the clear moonlight; but I was soon looking ahead again, for our
chase was too exciting for me to take much interest in a view.

Every now and then the boat tacked, and we went skimming along with her
gunwale close down to the water, when we were all called upon to shift
our position, the boatman evidently doing his best to overtake the
schooner, which kept seeming nearer and then farther off in the most
tantalising way.

"Guess I didn't ask you enough, skipper," said the boatman. "This is
going to be a long job, and I don't think we shall dew it now."

"Do your best, man," said Gunson quietly. "I must overtake the schooner
if it is possible."

All at once the wind dropped, the sail shivered and flapped, and we lay
almost without motion, but to our annoyance we could just make out the
schooner with her sails well filled, gliding steadily away.

The master of the boat laughed.

"Wait a bit," he said. "She won't go on like that long. P'r'aps we
shall have the wind next and she be nowhere."

Gunson glanced at the oars, but feeling that if we were to overtake the
vessel it must be by means of the sails, he said nothing, but sat
watching by me till we saw the schooner's sails die away.

"Gone?" I whispered.

"No; she has changed her course a little and is stern on to us. There,
you can see her again."

To my great delight I saw that it was so, the schooner having now
turned, and she grew plainer and plainer in our sight as the moon shone
full now on the other side of her sails, and we saw that she too was
becalmed. Then in a few minutes our own sails filled, and we went
gliding on over the glistening sea, which flashed like silver as we
looked back.

I uttered a sigh full of relief, for the schooner still lay becalmed,
while we were now rushing through the water.

"Well, my lad," said Gunson suddenly, "we thought we had lost you. How
was it? One of us thought you had turned tail, and slipped away."

"That wasn