The Lamar register., 1908-09-23
CHAPTER xIII.-continued.


For perhaps an hour the three ves-
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
IL Ellen and Deborah were on that
ship, they could not get away, either.
Into this peaceful nautical passage
at arms, suddenly a new factor was
introduced. That, Of course, was FL
lens boat. Sheltered by the island
neither Strathgate nor Darlington
had noticed it until it 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 a 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
terrific pace.
reckless way in which she was being
sailed caught his eye. 1t was too far
for him to distinguish who sailed 1t,
but he could tell that one of them was
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 a glass but
there was nothing of that kind In the
fisherman's 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
boat evidently pointed out the situa-
ton to him just as 1t had pre- scented
itself to Darlington, so all three held
on.
Ellen had the shortest distance to
SAIL and a free wind, while the ship
and the other two boats had a hard
beat before them. There was nothing
Darlington could do in fact but hold
his course, yet with what a fever of
fmpatience he continued his steady
beat to and fro across the harbor.
The only satisfaction he got was that
with every tack he gained percep-
n 70 h0 q
passed each other close enough for
conversation, but Strathgate had moth
ing to say to Darlington and Caring
ton controlled himself waiting for a
convenient opportunity to express him
self fully and unequivocally.
Both of them, moreover, were en-
crossed in the other boat. AS the
boats converged upon the ship, there
was no doubt in Carrington's mind,
or in Strathgate's, as to the identity
of its passengers. The wind was get
ting stronger as they drew farther out
into the open channel and the rate at
which they were drawing nearer to the
ship grew correspondingly slower.
Darlington gritted his teeth in his
vexation.
Still he held on. 1t was such a race
as he had never sailed before. He
held on although he knew that IL the
wind increased. his case was hope
less one; held on, although he saw
Ellen's boat in few moments would
intercept the ship; held on, when he
saw that boat disappear on the lee
side of the ship; held on when he
saw the ship thrown into the wind
to make half board SO that her way
was practically checked; held on when
4 two figures appeared upon the deck
of the ship. and one, boyish look
ing youth, walked over to the weather
gangway and stood in full view Of the
approaching cutters. waved a hand.
lifted cap disdainfully and then dis
appeared; held on when he saw the
boat which the two had abandoned,
trailing astern at the end of a long
line.
1t was my lords nature to hold on
doggedly- so long as there was the
faintest possibility of success and be-
yond. And he kept up the chase OF
the big ship even though she suddenly
covered with light canvas and. catch
ing the full force of the breeze. great
Iy accelerated her motion. He held
on even though slant of the wind
brought the breeze over the quarter
Of the big ship as she bore away on
~hsr. course to the eastward. Caring
ton marked that with sudden sur