Tate, a young mining millionaire of
California, whose fad was high-speed yachts. There was some talk about
turbine engines, direct application of steam, and the absence of
pistons, rods, and cranks,--all of which was beyond me, for I was
familiar only with sailing craft; but I did understand the last words
of the engineer.

"Four thousand horse-power and forty-five miles an hour, though you
wouldn't think it," he concluded proudly.

"Say it again, man! Say it again!" Charley exclaimed in an excited
voice.

"Four thousand horse-power and forty-five miles an hour," the engineer
repeated, grinning good-naturedly.

"Where's the owner?" was Charley's next question. "Is there any way I
can speak to him?"

The engineer shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. He's asleep, you
see."

At that moment a young man in blue uniform came on deck farther aft
and stood regarding the sunrise.

"There he is, that's him, that's Mr. Tate," said the engineer.

Charley walked aft and spoke to him, and while he talked earnestly the
young man listened with an amused expression on his face. He must have
inquired about the depth of water close in to the shore at Turner's
Shipyard, for I could see Charley making gestures and explaining. A
few minutes later he came back in high glee.

"Come on, lad," he said. "On to the dock with you. We've got them!"

It was our good fortune to leave the _Streak_ when we did, for a
little later one of the spy fishermen appeared. Charley and I took up
our accustomed places, on the stringer-piece, a little ahead of the
_Streak_ and over our own boat, where we could comfortably watch the
_Lancashire Queen_. Nothing occurred till about nine o'clock, when we
saw the two Italians leave the ship and pull along their side of the
triangle toward the shore. Charley looked as unconcerned as could be,
but before they had covered a quarter of the distance, he whispered to
me:

"Forty-five miles an hour...nothing can save them...they are ours!"

Slowly the two men rowed along till they were nearly in line with the
windmill. This was the point where we always jumped into our salmon
boat and got up the sail, and the two men, evidently expecting it,
seemed surprised when we gave no sign.

When they were directly in line with the windmill, as near to the
shore as to the ship, and nearer the shore than we had ever allowed
them before, they grew suspicious. We followed them through the
glasses, and saw them standing up