her rail
went under; but Donald knew just what she would bear, and kept the
tiller stiff in his hand. Stationing Dick Adams at the main sheet behind
him, he placed the others upon the weather side. In a moment more the
yacht came to her bearings, and lying well over, she flew off on her
course. She had made a capital start, and the Skylark was equally
fortunate in this respect. The two yachts went off abeam of each other,
and for half a mile neither gained a hair upon the other. Then commenced
the struggle for the victory. First the Skylark gained a few inches;
then the Sea Foam made half a length, though she immediately lost it;
for in these relative positions, she came under the lee of her opponent.

Again the Skylark forged ahead, and was a length in advance of the Sea
Foam, when the yachts came up with Turtle Head.

"You are losing it, Don John," said Ned, apparently not much displeased
at the result.

"Not yet," replied Donald. "A pull on the main sheet, Dick," added the
skipper, as he put the helm down. "Give her six inches more
centre-board, Ned."

"You will be on the rocks, Don John!" shouted the owner of the yacht, as
the Sea Foam dashed under the stern of the Skylark, and ran in close to
the shore.

"Don't be alarmed, Ned. Haul down the jib-sheet a little more! Steady!
Belay!" said the confident skipper.

By this manoeuvre the Sea Foam gained a position to windward of her
rival; but she ran within half her breadth of beam of the dangerous
rocks, and Ned expected every instant the race would end in a
catastrophe. She went clear, however; for Donald knew just the depth of
water at any time of tide. Both yachts were now under the lee of the
island, and went along more gently than before. It was plain enough now
that the Sea Foam had the advantage. Beyond the Head, and near the
ledge, she was obliged to brace up to the wind, in order to leave the
buoy on the port, as required by the rule. Donald kept her moving very
lively, and when she had made her two tacks, she had weathered the buoy,
and, rounding it, she gybed so near the ledge that the commodore could
not have crawled in between him and the buoy if he had been near enough
to do so. Hauling up the centre-board, and letting off the sheets, the
Sea Foam went for a time before the wind.

When the Skylark had rounded the buoy, and laid her course for Turtle
Head again, she was at least an eighth of a mile astern of her rival.
Donald hardly looked at her