en!"

The tip of the _Cassie J.'s_ bowsprit was less than two yards from the
port bow of the _Barracouta_, altogether too near for comfort.

"Keep off!" roared Spurling. "You'll run us down!"

The steersman whirled his wheel swiftly in the apparent endeavor to
avert a collision. Unluckily, he whirled it the wrong way. Round swung
the schooner's bow, directly toward the sloop. A few seconds more and
she would be forced down beneath the larger vessel's cutwater, ridden
under.

Only Jim's coolness prevented the catastrophe. The instant he saw the
_Cassie J._ turn toward his boat he flung his helm to port. The sloop,
under good headway, responded more quickly than the schooner. For a
moment the bowsprit of the latter seesawed threateningly along the
jibstay of the smaller craft. Then the two drew apart.

Jim was white with anger. It was only by the greatest good fortune that
the _Barracouta_ had escaped.

"What do you mean, you lubber?" he cried. "Can't you steer?"

"Jingo! but that was a close shave!" responded the man at the wheel. "I
must have lost my head for a minute."

The mock concern in his face and voice would have been evident to
Spurling without the lurking grin that accompanied his reply. An angry
answer was on the tip of Jim's tongue. He choked it down. Soon the two
craft were some distance apart.

On the _Cassie J._ a man's head rose stealthily above the slide of the
companionway. He fastened a steady gaze on the sloop. The distance was
now too great for the boys to distinguish his features, but a sudden
idea struck Jim. He slapped his thigh.

"Percy!" he exclaimed. "Do you remember the two fellows we caught
stealing sheep the first night we were on Tarpaulin? I feel sure as ever
I was of anything in my life that they're both on board that schooner.
That's Captain Bart Brittler, sticking his head out of the companionway;
and Dolph's somewhere below."

"But what are they doing on the _Cassie J._? Their vessel was named the
_Silicon._"

"They're one and the same craft! I'm certain of it. I recognize her rig
now, even if it was night when I saw her the first time. As for the
name, it's only paint-deep, anyway; you can see that those letters look
fresh. Of course it's an offense against the law to make a change, but
such a little thing as breaking a law wouldn't trouble a man like
Brittler."

"Do you think they tried to run us down?"

"Not a doubt of it! Brittler and Dolph stayed below, afraid we