Dare went up, and looking to where the Mary lay, saw the foresail being hoisted by a deck engine.
"You're the skipper, Ben," he said. "Give the orders."
Ben, fastening down the flap of his sou'-wester, nodded.
"We don't want to tag her too close. We'll give her a mile or so to start with. In this light wind the Nancy can keep up with her easy, unless they start that contraption of an engine."
"Why not leave ahead of her?"
"That would never do. No, we got to take our chance and trail her. There! She's driftin'. Now the wind's got her sails. Stand by to cast off."
Half an hour later the two boats had passed the harbour rock and were heading for Saltern Bay.
CHAPTER VII
IN THE NIGHT
Once clear of the harbour the Mary set out on a course which would find her some miles off the Saltern coast by ten o'clock, if she kept to it. Ben and Dare were nowise put out by this. They had expected some such tactics. With the falling of night the Mary would draw in to the land, there was no doubting that. So they sailed resolutely on the same course.