"One is chasing the other—I can tell by the sounds, alone."
"Good ear—remarkable. Put a lot of bronks on a hard trail and I can shut my eyes and tell you how many there are, up to five, by listening. But a boat's a different proposition. How do you know one is chasing the other, though? That's what gets me."
"Because," answered Matt, "the boat ahead is the Sprite and the one behind is the San Bruno!"
"Sufferin' whirligigs!" exclaimed McGlory. "How far ahead is the Sprite?"
"We can tell in a minute. Both boats are close—and the San Bruno has put out her light. Ah, look!"
Matt leaned over the rail and pointed. By that time the boats could be easily distinguished. The Sprite was pounding along in a distressing way that proved there was something wrong with her sparking apparatus or her fuel supply, but, in spite of that, she was doing nobly.
"It can't be that Ping is doing the work on the Sprite," muttered McGlory.
"It sounds as though it might be Ping," said Matt.
"But he can't run the boat! Didn't we see him try, at the Tiburon landing?"
"He's been watching me, and I think he's learned what to pull and push and turn in order to keep the boat moving. A Chinaman is a good imitator, Joe. The San Bruno is giving our launch a close race, and we'd better go down and stand ready to leap aboard the moment Ping stops for us."