My next remark did nothing to lessen the excitement.
‘The Turkish flag, by Jove!’ I cried; and, quick as thought, followed from the captain:
‘My promise didn’t cover that, Lord Wheatley.’
‘Shall we turn and run for it!’ asked Denny in a whisper.
‘They’d think that queer,’ cautioned Hogvardt, ‘and if she came after us, we shouldn’t have a chance.’
‘The English flag, by Jupiter!’ I cried a second later, and I took the glass from my strained eyes. The captain caught eagerly at it and looked; then he also dropped it, saying,
‘Yes, Turkish and English; both will come within hail of us.’
‘It’s a race, by Heaven!’ cried Denny.
The two vessels were approaching us almost on the same course, for each had altered half a point, and both were now about half a point on our starboard bow. They would be very close to one another by the time they came up with us. It would be almost impossible for us by any alteration of our course to reach one before the other.
‘Yes, it’s a race,’ said I, and I felt Phroso’s arm passed through mine. She knew the meaning of the race. Possession is nine points of the law, and in a case so doubtful as hers it was very unlikely that the ship which got possession of her would surrender her to the other. Which ship was it to be?