We hurried on among the pillar-like trunks of palms; in a little we were in the small boat, and at last the Pearl took us in.
"They're making sail," I told Captain Marat.
He took me into the cabin, and showed me the chart. There was there shown a long shoal, that would necessitate the Orion passing us and going some miles west, to round the end of the shoal, and so out to sea, for a run down the coast to the east. "Unless," said Captain Marat, "they have some safe passage through the shoal, say through here." And he pointed to a place opposite the point, where the depth figures indicated such a possible passage.
We got on a jib, and crawled out a bit nearer to the place indicated; and again we let down the anchor.
We had not long to wait this time. A dark object moved into our view. With a distant squeak of a block or two, it turned seaward. We were not many minutes getting under way. We lost sight of the Orion before we got way on, and when we were well beyond the shoal, we took our course east at a guess.
We had sailed there an hour, covering some miles, before that dark mass again showed before us. We then almost ran the other schooner down, for she lay hove to, her sails flapping. With quick work Captain Marat likewise brought the Pearl about.
During the maneuver I had had opportunity to note that a small boat of the Orion had separated itself from that vessel, and was a little way shoreward. But at our coming the boat turned about, and made back to the Orion again.
That vessel's sails directly filled once more, its bowsprit pointing down the coast. The Pearl was not long in falling into its wake. And then came a flash and report from the Orion. Norris rushed into the cabin, brought out his rifle and sent a bullet after that vessel.
"Tit for tat!" he said. "I'll bet that that cooled his enthusiasm."
The enemy did not see fit to continue the exchange.