Page:Guy Boothby - The Beautiful White Devil.djvu/289

 "Will you inform your wife, and then, perhaps, we had better hold a council of war," answered Patterson.

Without another word I went below and told Alie. In the presence of this definite danger she was a new woman. "I will dress and come on deck at once," she said. I went off to my own cabin and, hastily clothed myself; having done so I returned to the deck to find Patterson looking through his glass at something astern.

"We're nicely caught," he said on becoming aware of my presence. "There's another of them behind us."

I took the glass and looked for myself; what he reported was quite correct. We were caught like rats in a trap.

Just as I returned the glass to him Alie appeared and joined our group.

"This is bad news, gentlemen," she said quite calmly, "I suppose there can be no doubt they are after us. What have you to suggest?"

"It is difficult to say," answered Patterson. "Two things, however, are quite certain."

"What are they?"

"The first is that unless we are prepared to run the schooner ashore, we must go backwards or forwards. There is no middle course. In either case the result will be the same."

"Have you sent word to the engine-room to get up steam?"

"We have had a full pressure this hour past."

Alie turned to me.

"What do you advise, my husband?"

"There is nothing else for it," I answered, "but to run the gauntlet of them. We must try and get through."

"Very good, then—run it shall be! Are you satisfied, Mr. Patterson?"