o doubt he is wondering why our two vessels
have separated. At any rate, he has bitten at the bait prepared for him
without seeing the hook it conceals."

"I don't see why the plan is not succeeding as well as could be
desired," suggested the first officer. "Of course Captain Ringgold does
not mean to leave us to fall into the hands of this pirate, as you all
call her."

"It was distinctly the understanding that she was to come between us and
any possible harm."

"Something may happen to prevent her from doing so."

"Of course there is no knowing what may happen," Louis admitted. "I do
not see what can possibly occur to prevent her from following us to
Cyprus, if we go there."

"Isn't it settled that we are to go there?" asked Morris, who had not
heard the manoeuvre discussed before the commander of the ship.

"It is not absolutely settled; for the Fatty might take to her heels,
and no doubt would do so if she discovered the Guardian-Mother in her
wake. Mazagan knows very well that she can make four knots to the
Moorish craft's three; for that is just the ratio we figured out between
them. With three or four knots the lead she could overhaul her in an
hour."

"But the pirate could make her out in clear weather ten or a dozen miles
off. But what was Captain Scott's idea in running for the island of
Cyprus?"

"In order to have room enough for his manoeuvre."

"Have you kept the run of the Maud's course, Louis?"

"I have not; I am not so much of a sailor as you are, my boy, and I
don't figure on sailing the craft unless required to do so," replied
Louis. "But why do you ask that question?"

"Because I think the captain has changed the course of the Maud, and is
headed more to the northward," answered Morris.

"What makes you think so? He gave out a north-east course to Flix. You
have seen no compass since that time, and the sun is clouded in. I see
that Captain Scott is no longer at the bow; he must have gone into the
pilot-house," added Louis, his thought in regard to the indefinite idea
in the mind of the navigator coming to him again.

"There is a compass in the standing-room, Louis; suppose we go below and
look up this matter," Morris proposed, though he could have had no
suspicion that the captain had any concealed intentions.

They went down the forward ladder to the forecastle, though there was
one aft leading into the standing-room. Louis found that Scott was
seated on the divan abaft the wheel, s