“Do what?”
“I’m in a great hurry, and I can’t wait for you!” repeated Johnny. “Stay at the village till I come back.”
“Hold on with that sloop, I say!” shouted the man, “or it will be worse for you.”
“There!” exclaimed Miller; “that shows that I was right. We’re discovered, and we must run for it now. Crowd her, Harry!”
The second mate was right in his suspicions. One of the men in the schooner was the lawful captain of the Swallow. He had been visiting his brother, the keeper of the light-house, and was on the point of returning to the village, when he discovered his vessel putting out to sea. Of course he did not know who had taken her; but, being well aware of the fact that she was in the hands of some one who had no business with her, he had got the schooner under-way, and commenced the pursuit.
“Swallow ahoy!” came the hail again. “Hold on with that boat!”
The deserters made no reply, and, in fact, they scarcely heard the hail, for their attention was wholly occupied with something else. They had not imagined that they were in any danger; but now they noticed that the schooner was following in their wake at a rate of speed that would soon bring her along-side. She had the advantage of being under the control of men who understood their business. The third mate, being now fully satisfied that the Philistines were really after them, and that there was nothing left them now but to “run for it,” sprang down from the sail, and, seeing that the schooner was gaining rapidly, took the wheel into his own hands. Johnny, although he was the lowest officer, was the best sailor on board, and he had not been long at the helm, before it became apparent to the Swallow’s crew that their pursuers were gradually falling behind. This reassured the boys, some of whom had begun to fear that the sloop was not as swift a sailor as Johnny had led them to believe. A few of them had made up their minds that a fight for their liberties was not far distant, for not one of the deserters had any idea of allowing their cruise to be brought to an end so speedily. They had started out with the intention of enjoying a two-weeks’ cruise, and they did not propose to return to the village until they got ready, or were taken back by a superior force. Some of the more determined ones had secured handspikes, which they flourished above their heads, and shook at their pursuers, to warn them that, if overtaken, it was their intention to make a desperate resistance.
“Slack up a little, Rich, and let them come along-side,” said one of the crew—the same who had proposed to knock down the sentinels at the academy, and who went by the name of the fighting member—“two men can’t capture eighteen fellows.”
But Captain Rich didn’t believe in “slacking up;” his only desire was to leave their pursuers as far behind as possible; and, just then, there was no probability that the deserters would be called upon to use their handspikes; for, under Johnny’s skillful management, the swift little sloop was running away from the schooner as rapidly as though the latter had been at anchor. The deserters were for a long time interested in the race, and some of them even expressed their regret that the schooner was not a faster boat, it would have made the chase so much more exciting. But the novelty at last wore off, and they began to hope that the rightful captain of the Swallow would soon become discouraged, and abandon the pursuit. Block Island was now near at hand; but, while the schooner was so close to them, it was, of course, out of the question to think of landing for their cargo, and they might as well surrender at once as to attempt to continue the voyage without a supply of provisions. The captain, however, seemed to have no idea of giving up the chase. He held steadily after the Swallow, thinking, no doubt, that the man who had gone to the village would soon return with assistance; and, in the meantime, he was resolved not to lose sight of his vessel.