"
Even Frank, anxious as he was, could not but feel satisfied as he
looked at the water glancing past her side. She was heeling well
over, and the rustle of water at her bow could be heard where they
were standing near the tiller. Andrews, the best helmsman on board
the yacht, held the tiller rope, and Perry was standing beside him.
From time to time Frank went up to the crosstrees.
"We are drawing in upon her fast," he said, "but she is travelling
well, too; much better than I should have thought she would have
done with that rig. I think she has got a better wind than we have.
She has only made one short tack in for the last two hours."
The captain's prognostication as to the wind was verified, and to
Frank's intense annoyance it gradually died away, and headed them
so much that they could no longer lie their course.
"What shall we do, sir? Shall we hold across to the south shore and
work along by it, as the schooner is doing, or shall we go about at
once?"
"Go about at once, Hawkins. You see we can see her topsails from
the deck; and of course she can see ours. I don't suppose she has
paid any attention to us yet, and if we stand away on the other
tack we shall soon drop her altogether; while if we hold on she
will, when we reach that shore, be three or four miles behind us.
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