The "Victor" was palpably slowing down.
"What can that mean?" demanded Halstead.
"A crank-pin loose, or some other trouble with the machinery, sir?" suggested the third officer.
Tom Halstead quickly summoned the sailor who was with the quartermaster in the pilot house.
"Go to the main cabin, with my compliments, and tell Mr. Baldwin that the other craft is slowing down," ordered Tom.
There was a rush from below. The assistant from the United States district attorney's office took but a brief look, then dived below to find his two deputy marshals. These two officers followed their superior to the deck, stationing themselves in the bow.
"Captain," shouted Mr. Jephson, "will you go up close enough so that I can hail them?"
"When we overtake the steam yacht," Captain Halstead shouted back, "I shall run up to starboard of her, and as close as I can without danger of collision."
"That will do excellently, Captain," assented the district attorney's assistant.
The "Panther" was now rapidly closing in on the distance that separated the two craft. As yet, however, the motor yacht remained almost fairly astern.