rt announces that she's gainin' on us, and Old Hickory
nods his head.

"Only an hour until sunset, though," Auntie remarks.

"I suppose," suggests Rupert, "we could change our course after dark
and slip into Miami Bay."

"No," says Old Hickory, waggin' his head stubborn. "We will hold our
course right down through Florida Straits. We ought to make Key West
by morning, if we're not over-hauled."

"If!" I whispers to Vee.

Dinner was announced, but for once there's no grand rush below. Mr.
Ellins orders a hand-out meal to be passed around, and we fills up on
sandwiches while keepin' watch on that black smudge, which is creepin'
closer and closer. Don't take long for it to get dark down in this
part of the country after the sun is doused, but the stars shine mighty
bright. On the water, too, it seems so much lighter.

Then the _Petrel_ turns on a couple of search-lights. Course, we was
'way out of range, but somehow it seemed like them swingin' streaks of
light was goin' to reach out and pick us up any minute. For an hour or
so we watched 'em feelin' for us, gettin' a bit nearer, reachin' and
swingin', with the _Agnes_ strainin' herself to slip away, but losin' a
little of her lead every minute.

Must have been near ten o'clock when Rupert announces cheerful: "By
George! She's falling behind. Those searchlights are getting dimmer."

"I believe you're right," says Old Hickory.

Half an hour more and there was no doubt about it.

"Humph!" says Auntie. "I was sure we could do it."

And Mr. Ellins is so tickled that he orders up a couple of bottles of
his best fizz, so all hands can drink to the U. S. Navy.

"Long may it wave," says J. Dudley Simms, "and may it always stick to
its new motto--Safety First."

He got quite a hand on that, and then everybody turned in happy. As I
went to sleep the _Agnes_ was still joggin' along at her best gait, and
it was comfortin' to know that our wrathy naval friends had been left
hopelessly behind.

I expect I must have been poundin' my ear real industrious for five or
six hours when I hears this distant _boom_, and comes up in my berth as
sudden as if someone had pulled the string. Sunshine was streamin' in
through the porthole, and I was just wonderin' if I'd slept right
through the breakfast gong when _boom_! it came again. There's a rush
of feet on deck, some panicky remarks from the man up in the bow, a
quick clangin' of the engine-room bells, and then I fe