Part 62 (1/2)

”Looks fast and s at the craft, whose aspect seee attraction for him alone In fact, every eye was fixed upon the two vessels in the offing, while it see rapidly, had changed her course on seeing theet close up under the cliffs, apparently to reach the cove fro suspicious in a sailing-boatfor the cove, but, as the middy looked at it, the boat heeled over in a puff of wind, and he fancied that he caught sight of a falance, and directly after he told hiure which had started up in the night, away on the cliff was Ram Shackle, and he could not be in two places at once

”We shall never do it, my lads,” said the master suddenly ”Easy--easy

It's of no use to break your backs, and your hearts too She's sailing two knots to our one Easy in that boat,” he shouted ”We can't do it”

A low murmur arose from both crews

”Silence there!” shouted Gurr Then, ive it up, but you can see for yourself, bo's'n, we can't do it”

”No,” ca her too No, Mr Raystoke, it's only our old bad luck, and coain it”

”Mr Gurr,” said Archy excitedly, speaking with his eyes fixed on the sailing-boat

”Yes, my lad, what is it?”

”Do you think it possible that yonder boat has had anything to do with the lugger?”

”Eh? What?” cried the lass I dunno

They're such a set of foxes about here that she ht”

He shaded his eyes with his hand, and took a long look at her, and once ht her sail and heeled her over, so that he could get a good look over her side

She was about a h from the cliffs to catch the land breeze, and now, as the task of catching up the cutter was given up as impossible, the boat took the attention of all

”Why, she's got a lot ofdown in her bottom”

”Yes,” cried Archy; ”and it doesn't take ten men to catch a lobster”

”Ahoy, bo's'n!” cried Gurr; ”pull off to the west'ard sharp, and cut off that boat if she makes for that way Try and head her in under the cliff where there's no wind, if she tries to pass you Look out! She has a lot of men on board”

The direction of the second boat was altered at once, the an to pull hard; and just as a dull thud from seaward told that the _White Haas still well on the heels of her quarry, the first boat turned sht, Mr Raystoke,” said the master ”I should like to have one little bit o' fun before we go back aboard Ah, look at her!

She don't mean us to overhaul her Be s it coolly You're right, Mr Raystoke,” he added awith that boat, or she would not want to run away”

For the direction of the little yawl they were ed, and it was evident that, seeing how the second boat, co to head her off fro put on the other course, so as to run east

But the first boat was going rapidly through the water now, and a turn of the heled her course, so that it would be easy to cut the yawl off fro in the new direction, while an atteht for sea was also oing to do?” said Gurr ”Ah, my lad, it's all a fla to run in under the cliffs where there's no wind, and of course it's to take up her lobster-pots”

”If she was only going to take up lobster-pots she wouldn't have tried to run,” said Archy sharply ”I'd overhaul her, Mr Gurr”