ed up at the
sight of their destination, and he once again arranged his toilet and
that of his father.

"Thank goodness!" he muttered, with a long sigh of relief as he peered
at the ships, which were growing clearer and larger every moment.
"That outer one is the _Black Eagle_, or I am much mistaken. He's not
gone yet!"

"That is the _Black Eagle_," his father said with confidence. "I know
her by the cut of her stern and the rake of her masts."

As they came nearer still, any lingering doubt was finally dispelled.

"There's the white paint line," said Ezra. "It's certainly her.
Take us alongside that ship which is lying to the outside there,
Sampson."

The fisherman looked ahead once more. "To the barque which has just got
her anchor up?" he said. "Why, we won't be in time to catch her."

"Her anchor up!" screamed Ezra. "You don't mean to tell me she's
off!"

"Look at that!" the man answered.

As he spoke they saw first one great square of canvas appear above the
vessel, and then another, until she had spread her white wings to their
fullest extent.

"Don't say we can't catch her!" cried Ezra, with a furious oath.
"I tell you, man, that we must catch her. Everything depends on that."

"She must take three short tacks before she's out from the Goodwins.
If we run right on as we are going, we may get near her before she's
free."

"For God's sake! clap on all the sail you can! Get these reefs out!"
With trembling fingers Ezra let out the sail, and the boat lay over
further under the increased pressure. "Is there no other sail that we
could put up?"

"If we were running, we could rig up a spinnaker," the fisherman
answered; "but the wind has come round three points. We can do no
more."

"I think we are catching her," John Girdlestone cried, keeping his eyes
fixed upon the barque, which was about a mile and a half ahead.

"Yes, we are now, but she hain't got her way on yet. She'll draw ahead
presently; won't she, Jarge?"

The fisherman's son nodded, and burst into hoarse merriment.
"It's better'n a race," he cried.

"With our necks for a prize," Ezra muttered to himself.

"It's a little too exciting to be pleasant. We are still gaining."

They had a clear view of the dark hull and towering canvas of the barque
as she swept along in front of them, intending evidently to take
advantage of the wind in order to get outside the Goodwins before
beating up Channel.

"She's going about," Sampso