“Can you overtake that other boat?” he inquired.
“I’ve got to,” came Captain Tom’s dogged reply, as he kept his gaze sharply ahead.
“She’s faster than this boat,” replied Halstead, briefly.
“Good heavens! Then she will show us a clean pair of heels,” quivered Mr. Moddridge.
Tom was so sparing of his words, at this crisis in the sea race, that Mr. Delavan’s friend felt himself entitled to further explanation.
“You say she’s faster, but intimate we may catch her,” muttered Mr. Moddridge. “How can that be?”
“Motor engines sometimes go back on a fellow at the worst moment,” Captain Tom explained. “That may happen to the other fellow. He may have to slow down, or even shut off speed altogether.”
“But that might happen to us, too,” objected Mr. Moddridge.
“It might, but there are few engineers on motor boats that I’d back against Joe Dawson,” Halstead continued. “Then again, Mr. Moddridge, the fellow who is steering the boat ahead doesn’t handle his wheel as slickly as he might. By the most careful steering I hope to gain some on him.”
So rapidly was the fog lifting that the skippers of the two boats could now see the ocean for a half mile on either side, ahead or astern. The racing craft, after a few minutes, put on still another burst of speed.
“Ask Joe if he has every bit crowded on?” called Captain Tom. Jed called down into the engine room, then reported back:
“Joe says he may get a little more speed out of the engine, but not much. We’re pretty near up to the mark.”
So Tom Halstead, whitening a bit at the report, setting his teeth harder, devoted his whole energies to trying to steer a straighter course than did the boat ahead.
“There’s some kind of a rumpus on the stranger,” called Jed. “Look at that fellow rushing for the hood forward.”
Plainly there was some excitement out of the usual on board the stranger. Jed, snatching up a pair of marine glasses, swiftly reported:
“Someone is trying to fight his way out of the hood, and the others are trying to force him back. Whee! It looks as though someone had just hurled something out overboard from the hood.”
“Did you see anything strike the water?” demanded Captain Tom.
“It looked so, but it’s a big distance to see a small object, even through the glass.”