In a few minutes every inch of canvas the Sweepstakes carried had been given to the breeze, and the little vessel boomed along over the waves at a terrific rate. The topmasts bent and cracked, the foam rolled away in great masses from under her bows, and now and then a fierce gust of wind would fill the sails, and the schooner would roll down until she seemed on the point of capsizing. Her captain, no longer the coward he was when he accompanied Mr. Graves on the trial trip of the Storm King, stood holding fast to the rail, and looking back toward the harbor. He knew that the fire-bells would soon arouse the town, that the news of the robbery and the destruction of the yacht would spread like wild-fire, and that the pursuit would not be long delayed. He wanted a good start in the race; and he would have spread all the canvas if the wind had been blowing a gale.
"We've got a long voyage to make, you know, skipper," said the chief, "an' we must be careful of our vessel."
"But when we are in danger we must get all that we can out of her," replied Tom. "Hold her to it, Xury, don't luff an inch. If she can't stand this breeze, we've no business to go to sea in her. But I don't discover any signs of the fire yet, do you Sam?"
"No, I don't. Mebbe them swells have put it out."
"O, now, they haven't, either," drawled Tom, who could not be persuaded to believe that his "splendid idea" had failed, after all the trouble and danger he had incurred to make it successful. "They couldn't put it out—there was too much coal-oil in the galley. She must be entirely consumed by this time; but, if I thought she wasn't, I should be tempted to go back and try it again."
"There come them spooneys, cap'n," shouted Xury, from his place at the wheel.
Tom looked toward the village, and could just distinguish the dim outlines of a vessel which was coming out of the harbor, and appeared to be following in the schooner's wake. The thought that it was the Storm King had scarcely passed through his mind, when his mate continued:
"We've wasted a heap of good time in helping you carry out your idea. You had oughter done your work well, while you were at it. That's the sloop you tried to burn."
"O, now, you don't know what you are talking about," drawled Tom.
"I reckon I do. I can tell the Storm King as fur as I can see her. Friday, bust open the door of the cabin, an' bring up the 'squire's spy-glass."