khead. A sharp
report broke the silence and a bullet sang its way across the _Follow
Me's_ bow. The man dropped the rope and sprang back along the roof to
tumble frightenedly into the cockpit. From the cabin of the _Adventurer_
floated up the acrid smoke of Wink's revolver. The man at the stern of
the other boat had instantly disappeared.

"Look out," shouted Perry from the forward cabin. "They're going to
shoot from the ports! Come down from there, Steve!"

But Steve's hand was on the clutch and, as the _Adventurer_ began to go
astern, his other hand turned the spokes of the wheel and the cruiser's
bow came slowly around toward the _Follow Me._ "Come up here, Wink," he
called, and then: "Put that hatch up all the way and keep behind it," he
added as Wink slipped to his side. "Can you get them from there?"

"Fine!" answered the other cheerfully.

"I'll try to keep her bow-on. Careful not to kill anyone, old man. Shoot
for their arms."

"How can I when they're out of sight down there?" Wink complained. "All
I can do is shoot for the ports."

"Don't shoot at all unless you have to," Steve cautioned. "We don't want
to knock any more splinters off her than necessary."

"We're too near, Steve. The deck's getting in the way."

"I'll back her off." The _Adventurer_ retreated until Wink, his elbow
resting on the closed cover of the chart-box, could train his revolver
on the _Follow Me's_ ports. Several of the others emerged from the
cabins and huddled from sight on the deck.

"What's the next act, Steve?" inquired Phil.

Steve shook his head. "I'm wondering," he answered. "About all we can do
is keep them from running away until they talk sense."

"Why not let them run? We can go faster than they can."

"I'm afraid of tricks," responded Steve. "I don't know these waters, and
I suspect that they do. They might manage to give us the slip as they
did last night. I guess when they find they can't get away they'll come
to terms." Steve raised his head cautiously above the chart-box on his
side and a bullet promptly ploughed through the frame of the open
window in front of him and went singing astern.

"Rotten shooting," observed Wink, as Steve ducked to safety. "Shall I
give 'em one, Steve?"

Steve hesitated and then shook his head. "What's the use? You'd only
plug a hole in the _Follow Me's_ cabin. Wait until they show
themselves."

"Well, you take care not to show yourself," advised Wink, peering warily
past the