Another shot flew by close to the searchlight.
"That's the mark the scoundrels are aiming at," muttered the young skipper, angrily. "Turn off the current, Mr. Costigan, and I'll unship the light."
This done, the big reflector and the bulb behind it were taken down to the pilot house by one of the sailors.
"You confounded pirates!" roared the district attorney, shaking his fist in the direction of the "Victor."
"That _was_ actual piracy, wasn't it?" questioned Mr. Baldwin.
"Nothing else!" retorted the assistant, angrily, as he came down aft to place the wheel house between himself and that other craft. "If we ever get that captain and crew on shore we'll make 'em smart in a trial for piracy!"
Having veered off the course of direct pursuit, Captain Halstead was now steering ahead, meaning to run parallel with the "Victor." He kept half a mile away, but, even had the other craft lowered its running lights, the starlight was bright enough to enable the bridge officer to keep the "Victor" in sight.
"Try to keep just this distance, Mr. Costigan," directed Tom Halstead.
Tom then descended to the deck, where he sauntered up to the excited group.
"What's your guess, Halstead, as to the meaning of those shots?" questioned Mr. Baldwin.
"Well, of course," replied Tom, slowly, "the master of that other yacht would be glad to see our searchlight smashed. That was one reason for the firing."
"Why, I imagine, sir, those people want us to know that they carry rifles. They want to show us the folly of thinking we can pursue and board them."
"This pursuit should really have been undertaken by a naval vessel or revenue cutter," said Mr. Jephson, rather disgustedly. "One shot from the bowgun of an armed vessel would bring that yacht lying to in a jiffy."
"Humph!" grunted the practical Mr. Baldwin. "There isn't a cutter or gunboat in San Francisco waters fast enough to overtake either of these boats."
"I don't understand, sir," put in Halstead, quietly, "why you haven't had a wireless telegraph apparatus installed aboard this yacht. Why, even the little fifty-five foot boat that Dawson and I own has a wireless installation."
"What would you do with one, if you had it on board now?" asked Mr. Baldwin.