Page:At the Fall of Port Arthur.djvu/116

98 "She is after us, that is positive," said Captain Ponsberry.

"There is a bank of mist over to the northward," returned Larry. "Why not run into that?"

"Well spoken, lad; we'll do it, and as soon as the mist hides us we can go over on the other tack and throw her off the scent."

The mist the young second mate had mentioned was nearly a quarter of a mile away and it was a question whether they could reach it before the stranger came up. But fortune favored those on the schooner. The mist rolled toward them, and in less than two minutes they were hidden as completely as could be desired.

"Now to get entirely out of the way," exclaimed Captain Ponsberry, and lost not a moment in having the sails shifted and a new course set. Through the mist they heard the other vessel steaming around noisily and did their best to keep as far away as possible from the sound.

All during that evening and the night to follow the Columbia kept to her new course. This was taking her away from Nagasaki, but this could not he helped. The captain said if it became absolutely necessary he would run into some other Japanese port.

When daybreak came the mist was as thick as