Page:Guy Boothby - The Beautiful White Devil.djvu/293

 fired, but as we were all steaming too fast for correct aiming, the ball did no damage. After that they saved their powder, and concentrated all their energies on the task of catching us. All the morning we steamed on, and by three o'clock were a good ten miles ahead.

"If we can only keep this pace up till dusk I think we may manage to give them the slip after all," said Alie, going to the taffrail and looking behind her at the pursuing ships.

Their commanders seemed to realise this too, for they once more began to try long shots at us. But though two fell very close, no harm was done.

About half-past three Patterson left the bridge and came down to where we were sitting aft. He held a chart in his hand, and when he came up with us he knelt down and pinned it to the deck.

"May I draw your attention to this chart?" he said, as soon as his preparations were complete. "You will remember that the first time we were ever chased, it was in this very place! Well, on that occasion we managed to escape by taking this channel between these two reefs. Our pursuer, as doubtless you have not forgotten, drew too much water and could not follow us. Now, if you are willing to chance it, we might try the same plan again."

"What do you think?" asked Alie, turning to me. "It is a desperate risk to run, but then we must remember that we are in a desperate position."

I knelt down upon the deck and carefully examined the chart. It showed a long, straggling reef shaped something like a wriggling snake with an opening in the middle, just wide enough, if the measurements were to be depended upon, to permit our vessel to pass through. One