"Oh, I'm mighty feared ob those guns," said Bahama Bill, in a deep voice, which he tried to raise to a frightened treble. "I'll steer her all right toe any place yo' wants toe go. Lay de co'se, says me. I'll take youse dere if the hooker'll go."
"It's a pity you haven't some decent canvas aboard her," said the invalid.
"If you had some decent gear, we might show that fellow a clean wake. You seem to know your business, all right."
"If you want to make a getaway, you better stop knocking this sloop," said Smart.
"Dat's right, cap'n, ef dese perfessers want toe make good, dey better quit hittin' de Sea-Horse. I won't stand fer much ob dat foolishing," said Bahama Bill.
"The invalid is a regular image-breaker," said the pale-eyed man sympathetically; "don't mind the knocks, my good fellow. Tell me what other cloth you can put on the ship, and I'll see that it's spread. They're getting out everything that will hold wind astern of us."
This was the case aboard the schooner. The United States marshal, Tom Fields, had been told of the successful onslaught of "Thin Jim" and Dick Nichols, sometimes known as "the Owl" on account of his colourless eyes, upon the safe of the gambling establishment. This contained seven thousand dollars in cash, and nearly as much more in jewelry that had been accepted for gambling debts.
The two crooks, a pair of the most desperate and notorious cracksmen, had made good the haul in broad daylight, having first arranged to have the sloop ready and waiting for the reception of the valuables. The ignorance of her crew was rightly depended upon, and the plot had so far been fairly successful. If they could once get to sea, the rest would be easy, for they could land anywhere upon the Bahamas, from Nassau a thousand miles down to the Great Inagua Bank. It would be next to impossible to catch them. It all depended upon the vessel and her manœuvring.
Fields recognized the Sea-Horse at once, and, knowing her peculiar character, and also that of her owners, he at once came to the conclusion that the giant mate of the wrecker was in the game with the other two experts from the North. He at once pressed the yacht Silver Bar into service, and making sail about the time the Sea-Horse was standing out the channel, came along in pursuit, with the conviction that he would soon run the heavier working vessel down under his gun and force her to surrender.
Armed with a modern rifle of small bore and great range, he had returned the fire of the burglars at once, in the hope that he might cripple some one, even at the range of half a mile. His ammunition consisted of hardly more than a handful of cartridges, and he was forced to use these sparingly, depending now upon the seamanship of his crew and the seaworthiness of the Silver Bar to make his catch.