when we get the
strongest hold, and that we mean to do."

"Well, I hope old Burgess, as you call him, won't run this wretched
schooner crash on to a rock. You might as well hand me out a life-belt,
in case."

"Oh, there's time enough for that," said Poole coolly.

"I'll take care of you. But I say, look! That gunboat is coming on two
knots for our one. Can't you see?"

"I can see her lights, of course, but it doesn't seem to me that she is
getting closer."

"She is, though, and she's bound to overtake us, for old Burgess is
keeping right along the main channel. Why, if I didn't know who was at
the wheel," cried the lad excitedly, "I should be ready to think that
the steersman had proved treacherous, and was playing into the enemy's
hands. Oh, here's father! I say, dad, do you see how fast that gunboat
is overhauling us?"

"Oh yes," said the skipper coolly. "It's all right, my boy; Burgess
knows what he's about. He wants to get a little more offing, but it's
getting nearly time to lie over on the other tack."

He had hardly spoken when the mate at the wheel called out--

"Now!"

The skipper gave a short, sharp order or two, the men sprang to the
sheets, the schooner was turned right up into the wind, the sails began
to shiver, and directly after they began to fill on the other tack, were
sheeted home, and the _Teal_ lay so over to starboard that Fitz made a
snatch at a rope so as to steady himself and keep his feet.

"Why, he'll have the sea over her side," whispered Fitz excitedly.

"Very likely," said Poole coolly. "Ah, you don't know how we can sail."

"Sail! Why, you will have her lying flat in the water directly."

"Make the sails more taut," said Poole coolly. "I say, we are going
now. I didn't see what he meant. We have just turned the South Rocks.
Talk about piloting, old Burgess does know what he's about. We are
sailing as fast as the gunboat."

"But she's overhauling us."

"Yes, but she won't try to pass those rocks. She will have to keep to
the channel. We are skimming along over the rocky shallows now."

"Yes, with the keel nearly up to the surface," panted Fitz excitedly.

"All the better! Less likely to scrape the rocks."

"Well, you are taking it pretty coolly," continued the midshipman.
"This must be risky work."

"Yes, we don't want to be taken. You wait a few minutes and watch the
gunboat's lights. You will see that she will be getting more distant as
she goes