self another hoist and was able
to get astride the bowsprit. He judged that they must be outside the
headland of Saturday Cove, because the breeze was stronger and the sea
gurgled and showed white threads of foam against the blunt bows. His
struggles had consumed more time than he had realized in the dazed
condition produced by his choking collar.

He heard the popping of a motor-boat's engine far astern, and was
cheered by the prompt conviction that pursuit was on. Therefore, he made
haste to get in touch with the _Polly's_ master. He scrambled inboard
along the bowsprit and fumbled his way aft over the piles of lumber,
obliged to move slowly for fear of pitfalls, Once or twice he shouted,
but he received no answer, He perceived three dim figures on the
quarter-deck when he arrived there--three men. Captain Candage was
stamping to and fro.

"Who in the devil's name are _you?_" bawled the old skipper. "Get off'm
here! This ain't a passenger-bo't."

"I'll get off mighty sudden and be glad to," retorted Mayo.

"Well, I'll be hackmetacked!" exploded Mr. Speed shoving his face over
the wheel. "It's--"

"Shut up!" roared the master. "How comes it you're aboard here as a
stowaway?"

"Don't talk foolishness," snapped Captain Mayo "Your old martingale
spikes hooked me up. Heave to and let me off!"

"Heave to it is!" echoed Oakum Otie, beginning to whirl the tiller.

Captain Candage turned on his mate with the violence of a thunderclap.
"Gad swigger your pelt, who's giving off orders aboard here? Hold on
your course!"

"But this is--"

"Shut up!" It was a blast of vocal effort. "Hold your course!"

"And _I_ say, heave to and let that motor-boat take me off," insisted
Mayo.

Captain Candage leaned close enough to note the yacht skipper's uniform
coat. "Who do you think you're ordering around, you gilt-striped,
monkey-doodle dandy?"

"That motor-boat is coming after me."

"Think you're of all that importance, hey? No, sir! It's a pack of 'em
chasing me to make me go back into port and be sued and libeled and
attached by cheap lawyers."

"You ought to be seized and libeled! You had no business ratching out of
that harbor in the dark."

"Ought to have taken a rising vote of dudes, hey, to find out whether I
had the right to h'ist my mudhook or not?"

"I'm not here to argue. You can do that in court. I tell you to come
into the wind and wait for that boat."

"You'd better, Cap Candage," bleated Oakum Otie. "T