The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-10-16
CHAPTER XlIi.-Continued.

For perhaps an hour the three YES
sels-the ship and the two small,
Doats-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
lelsurely, in fact, and the others were
IN high hope, Darlington, especially
lie thought that he at last had Strath-
gate where he could not ESCAPE, and
II Ellen and Deborah were on that
snip, 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 Carrington
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 tho
big ship, as a sailor would phrase if
hand over fist. Her little boat was
heeled over until the lee gunwale was
aWash and danced over the waves at
a terrific pace.
harrington 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 if
but he could tell that one of them was
a woman. Something made him he
heVe that it might be his wife He
gave the tiller to Haight, went I'm
forward and stared hard. He would
nave given anything for a glass hit
there was nothing of that kind in the
hsherman's boat and he had to trust
10 MS unaided eyesight. The longer
ne looked the more sure he became
tnat 1t was Ellen. His first impulse
was to alter his course and head di.
rectly for her cutter, but he realized
the moment ne conceived the design
that he could never intercept her that
ms only chance was to overhaul the
snip for which she was evidently max
Ing. He would thus lose no distance
IL she Gid not intend to try to board
the ship he could chase her after.
ward. The sailors on stratbgate's
boat evidently pointed out the situa.
tlon to him just as it had presented
ltself to Darlington, so all three held
on.
Ellen had the shortest distance to
SAIL and a free wind, while the shin
ana the other two boats had a hard
peat before them. There was nothing
harrington could do in fact but hold
MS course, yet with what a fever of
lmpatience he continued his steady
peat to and fro across the harbor
Inc only satisfaction he got was that
WIN every tack he gained percen.
uDIy on Strathgate. Indeed the boats
passed each other close enough for
conversation, but Strathgate had moth.
ing 10 say to Darlington and CARING.
Ton controlled himself waiting for q
opportunity to express him.
SELF fully and unequivocally.
both OF them, moreover. were on.
IN the other boat. As the
BOATS converged upon the shin thore
was no doubt in Carrington's mind
Dr. IN Strathgate's, as to the identity
u It's passengers. The wind was pct.
Ing stronger as they drew farther ont
INTO the open channel and the rate At
Which they were drawing nearer to the
hip grew correspondingly slower
darlington gritted his teeth in his s
'exation. ..
Still he held on. 1t was such a race
S ne had never sailed before He
eld on although he knew that If the 8
'ind increased. his case was a hone.