Yes," he said, "it'll be warm enough out there for them as lives as
well as for the dead. Ring down for more firing; what's the lubber
at?--he's not giving her thirteen knots."

By-and-by all the crew began to observe Black's anxiety and to crowd to
the starboard side; but he told them nothing, although he never left
the bridge, and cursed fiercely whenever the speed of the tender
slacked at all. It was somewhat perplexing to me to observe that, while
the great ship was undoubtedly following us, she did not gain a yard
upon us. During the whole of that long afternoon, and through the
watches of that early night, when I remained upon the bridge with
Black, we kept our relative distances; but, do all we could, the other
would not be shaken off; and when, after a few hours' sleep, I came on
deck at the dawn of the second day, she was still on our quarter,
following like the vulture follows the living man whose hours are
numbered.

"There's no humbug about her game," cried Black, whose face was lined
with the furrows of anxiety and pale with long watching; "she means to
take us on the open sea, and she's welcome to the course. If I don't
riddle her like a sieve, stretch me!"

This strange pursuit lasted three days and into the third night; when I
was awakened from a snatch of sleep by the firing of a gun above my
head. I dressed hurriedly and got on deck, where my eyes were almost
blinded by a great volume of light which spread over the sea from a
point some two miles away on our starboard bow. We had been in the
Atlantic then for twenty-four hours, and I did not doubt for a moment
that we had reached the nameless ship. Had there been any uncertainty,
the wild joy of the men would have banished it. From windlass to wheel
our decks presented a scene of wild excitement. Above all the shouting,
the raucous laughter, and the threats against the cruiser--whose lights
showed then less than a mile away--I heard the voice of Black, singing:
"Hands, stand by to lower boats!" and the yelping of "Roaring John." It
seemed at that moment that we should gain the impregnable citadel
without suffering one shot, and while I should have been happier if the
attack had been upon the tender, and my chances of gaining the
Government ship thus more sure, I was in a measure carried away by the
excitement of the position, and I verily believe that I cheered with
the others.

At that moment the cruiser showed her teeth. Suddenly there was a rush