hetis_ was
going out through the Florida Strait or down the Nicholas and Old Bahama
channels. Also, for the first hour he allowed her to travel at the
sober pace of fourteen knots; after which he spoke down the voice tube
to Macintyre in the engine-room, and the next instant the little craft
was shearing through the long, foam-flecked surges like a chasing
dolphin, as the Scotchman gave her all the steam that her engines could
take.

It was about seven bells in the afternoon watch when, the yacht running
in toward the land on a south-easterly course, the head of the mast from
which the light on Hicacal Cay is shown appeared dead ahead, and Milsom
at once gave orders for the engines to be slowed down to fourteen knots.
Then, turning to Jack, he said: "Now, young man, I shall want your
assistance, for I am going to personally undertake the job of piloting
the little hooker into her hiding-place. The chart still lies spread
out on the chart-house table, where we left it last night, and with that
before you you ought to be able to con the ship into the Boca without
the slightest difficulty. Once she is there, I will take charge again,
and give you my directions from the fore-masthead, whither I am about to
go; and I shall want you to stand by the engine-room telegraph and
transmit my orders to the engine-room smartly. You had better keep that
mast yonder fair and square over the bowsprit end until the Boca opens
out clearly; then you can ease your helm over to port and head her
straight in. Now, I'm off."

And, therewith, Milsom left the bridge and ran down on to the fore deck,
from which he was presently hoisted to the fore-masthead in a
boatswain's chair bent on to a whip rove through the sheave-hole at the
masthead. By the time that he was up there the low, mangrove-clothed
cays were visible from the bridge; then Jack gave orders for the helm to
be ported, and a quarter of an hour later the yacht shot into smooth
water between Bushy and Hicacal Cays, and Milsom took in hand the
conning of the craft, following the trend of the channel by eye from his
lofty lookout, with a couple of leadsmen in the forechains to further
help him. But there was no difficulty, for, once inside the cays, the
water was both smooth and clear, and Milsom was able to follow
unerringly the line of deepest water. As he had anticipated, the
unwonted spectacle of so trim and handsome a little vessel as the
_Thetis_ attracted the interested