the gun.

"Try it again," he said.

And Clif did try it. The two ships were then not over three or four
miles apart, and when the cadet fired again he heard the lieutenant give
a pleased exclamation.

"They're within range!"

And then Clif got to work with all his might.

Had he had a calm sea he could have raked that vessel without missing a
shot. He had only to experiment and get the aim just right and then
leave the gun to stay in that one position while he blazed away.

But the Uncas in climbing over the waves was now up and now down, so
that sometimes the shots fell short and sometimes they went high.

But every once in a while he had the satisfaction of hearing that he had
landed one.

After that the chase was a lively one, for the Uncas kept blazing away
merrily. The people on board that fleeing vessel must have had a very
large time of it that afternoon.

It was just what Clif Faraday liked; he was beginning to be quite an
expert in target practice, and he was willing to experiment with that
ship just as long as the ammunition held out.

But his opportunity did not last very long, for the land in front was
neared very rapidly, and after that there was less fun and more work.

The stranger headed round gradually to the west. She evidently had no
idea of being driven toward Havana.

The Uncas swerved more sharply, in order to head her off. Lieutenant
Raymond was in the pilot house, and Clif soon saw by the way he managed
things that he was an expert in all the tricks of dodging.

And those who were handling the merchant ship saw it, too; they would
have been soon headed off. So they turned in another direction quite
sharply, making straight in toward shore again.

Under ordinary circumstances with the short range that he had by that
time, Clif could have riddled the vessel in short order; but aiming in
that sea was so far a matter of luck that comparatively little damage
could be done.

No one knew what the enemy's last move could mean.

"But we can go in any water that's deep enough for them," thought Clif,
grimly, as he blazed away.

And so thought the lieutenant, too, for he was soon racing in. For
perhaps ten minutes pursuer and pursued kept straight on, the firing
never ceasing for a moment.

"Perhaps she may run on shore on purpose," said the lieutenant, coming
out of the pilot house for a moment.

"On purpose?" echoed Clif.

"Yes; so that we can't get the cargo."

"But she'll be