Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-01-14
CHAPTER xUu.-continued.

For perhaps an hour the three yes
sells the ship and the two small
hOats-held on, every moment bring.
Ing the little chasers nearer their
great quarry. The Flying Star wal
making no especial effort at speed.
fIer royals were not yet set. She
was proceeding on her voyage rather
leisurely, I'm 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
II Ellen and Deborah we're on that
ship, they could not get away, either.
Into this peaceful nautical passage
ct 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 1t suddenly shot
into view. Now Ellen had a better
wind than any OF tho other three. On
Q broad reach she came down on the
big ship. a. n sailor would phrase 1t,
hand over fist. Her little boat was
heeled over until the lee gunwale was
awash and danced over the waves at
Q 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 1t,
but he could tell that one of them was
. woman. Something made him be-
lieve that It might be his wife. He
1oOA tho ttIInr IN IIutUht xvnrt ~,
forward and stared hard. He would
have given anything for a glass but
there was nothing Of that kind in the
hsherman's boat and he had to trust
to his unaided e~yesight. Tho longer
no looked the more sure he became
that It was Ellen. His first impulse
was to alter his course and head di.
rectly for her cutter. but he realized
the moment he conceived the design
that he could neve 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
tho ship no could chase her after.
ward. The sailors on Strathgate's
boat evidently pointed out the situa'
ton to him just as It had presented
itself to Darlington, 30 all three held
IN.
Ellen had the shortest distance tC
sail. and a free wind, while the shiI
and the other two boats had n hard
beat before them. There was nothing
Darlington could do In fact but hold
his course. yet with what a fever ol
impatience he continued his stead,
beat TO and fro across the harbor
Tue onl! satisfaction he got was tina,
with every tack he gained percep
tibly on S%trathgate. Indeed the boati
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 u~nequiyocally.
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 s~trathgate's, as to the identit!
Of It's passengers. The wind was get
ting stronger al they drew farther on
into the open channel and the rate a
which they we're drawing nearer to thu
ship grew correspondingly slower
Darlington gritted his teeth In hi
texsti0n.
0till he held on. 1t was such q rae,
- hs had never sailed before. II
Asld . alttousb hs knew that II tb