The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-09-25
CHAPTER xIiI.-contjnued.

For perhaps an hour the three YES
sels-the ship and the two small
boats-held on. every moment bring
ing the little chasers nearer their
great quarry. The Flying Star was
making no especial effort at speed.
Her royals were not yet set. She
was proceeding on her voyage rather
leisurely, In fact, and the others were
in high hope. Darlington, especially.
He thought that he at last had Strath-
gate where he could not escape, and
If Ellen and Deborah were on that
ship, they could not get away, either.
Into this peaceful nautical passage
at arms, suddenly new factor was
introduced. That, of course, was Ell
lens boat. Sheltered by the island
neither Strathgate nor Darlington
had noticed it until 1t suddenly shot
into view. Now Ellen had a better
wind than any of the other three. On
a broad reach she came down on the
big ship, as sailor would phrase it,
hand over fist. Her little boat was
heeled over until the lee gunwale was
awash and danced over the waves at
a terrific pace.
Darlington saw the boat first. The
reckless way in which she was being
sailed caught his eye. 1t was too far
for him to distinguish who sailed it,
but he could tell that one of them was
a woman. Something made him be-
lieve that 1t might be his wife. He
gave the tiller to Haight, went up
forward and stared hard. He would
have given anything for glass but
there was nothing of that kind in the
flshermans boat and he had to trust
to his unaided eyesight. The longer
he looked the more sure he became
that it was Ellen. His first impulse
was to alter his course and head d.
rectly for her cutter but he realized
the moment he conceived the design
that he could never intercept her, that
his only chance was to overhaul the
ship for which she was evidently max
ing. He would thus lose no distance.
II she did not intend to try to board
the ship he could chase her after
ward. The sailors on Strathgate's 8
boat evidently pointed out the situa.
ton to him just as it had presented
itself to Darlington, so all three held
on.
Ellen had the shortest distance to
sail, and free wind, while the shin
and the other two boats had hard
beat before them. There was nothing
Carrjr ufn do i,n h,,A T. IL,
his course, yet with what a fever oi
impatience he continued his steady
beat to and fro across the harbor
The only satisfaction he got was thai
with every tack he gained percep
tibly on Strathgate. Indeed the boats
passed each other close enough fol-
conversation. but Strathgate had moth
ing to say to Darlington and Caring
ton controlled himself waiting for {
convenient opportunity to express him
self fully and unequivocally.
Both Of them, moreover were en-
crossed In the other boat As tn,
boats converged upon the ship, ther,
was no doubt in Carrington's mind
or in Strathgate's, as to the identit,
Of its passengers. The wind was get
ting stronger as they drew farther ou
into the open channel and the rate a
which they were drawing nearer to tn,
ship grew correspondingly slower
Darlington gritted his teeth in hi
veXation.
Still he held on. 1t was such a rae
ss he had never sailed before. H.
held on although he knew that If tn
wind increased, his case was = hope