When night began to fall, the Dunkery Beacon was still keeping on her course,—a little too much to the eastward, Mr. Portman thought,—and the Summer Shelter was still accompanying her almost abreast, and less[Pg 229] than half a mile away. During the day it had been seldom that the glasses of the yacht had not been directed upon the deck of the larger vessel. Several times Mr. Shirley had been seen on the main deck, and he had frequently waved his hat. It was encouraging to know that their friend was in good condition, but there were many hearts on board the Summer Shelter which grew heavier and heavier as the night came on.

Burke and Burdette stood together in the pilot house. "Suppose she gets away from us in the night?" said the mate.

"I don\'t intend to let her do it," replied his Captain. "Even if she douses every glim on board, I\'ll keep her in sight! It will be starlight, and I\'m not afraid, with a vessel as easily managed as this yacht, to lie pretty close to her."

"Then there\'s another thing," said Burdette.

"You\'re thinking they may get rid of him?" asked Burke.

"Yes," said the other, "I was thinking of that!"

The Captain did not reply immediately. "That came across my mind too," said he, "but it\'s all nonsense! In the first place, they haven\'t got any reason for wanting to get rid of him that way, and besides, they know that if they went into Rio Janeiro without Shirley, we could make it very hot for them!"

"But he\'s a queer one—that Captain Hagar!" said Burdette. "What was he doing on that easterly course? I think he\'s a scaly customer, that\'s what I think!"

"Can\'t say anything about that," answered Burke.[Pg 230] "But one thing I know,—I\'m going to stick to him like a thrasher to a whale!"

Very early the next morning Mr. Hodgson came aft where Captain Burke was standing with the sailing-master. "Sir," said he, "I am a clergyman and a man of peace, but I declare, sir, that I do not think any one, no matter what his profession, should feel himself called upon to submit to the outrageous conduct of the Captain of that vessel! Is there no way in which we could approach her and make fast to her, and then boldly press our way on board in spite of objection or resistance, and by force, if it should be necessary, bring away Mr. Shirley, whose misfortune has made us all feel as if he were not only our friend, but our brother. Then, sir, I should let that vessel go on to destruction, if she chooses to go."

Burke shook his head. "You may be sure if I considered it safe to run the two vessels together I would have been on board that craft long ago! But we couldn\'t do it,—certainly not with Mrs. Cliff on the yacht!"

"No indeed!" added Mr. Portman. "Nobody knows what damage they might do us. For my part, I haven\'t any faith in that vessel. I believe she\'s no better than a pirate herself!"

"Hold on!" exclaimed Burke. "Don\'t talk like that! It wouldn\'t do for the women to get any such notions into their heads!"

"But it is in your head, isn\'t it, sir?" said Mr. Hodgson.[Pg 231]

"Yes," said Burke, "something of the sort. I don\'t mind saying that to you."

"And I will also say to you," replied the young clergyman, "that we talked it over last night, and we all agreed that the actions of the Dunkery Beacon are very suspicious. It does not seem at all unlikely that the great treasure she carries has been too much of a temptation for the Captain, and that she is trying to get away with it."

"Of course, I don\'t know anything about that Captain," said Burke, "or what he is after, but I\'m pretty sure that he won\'t dare to do anything to Shirley as long as I keep him in sight. And now I\'m going to bear down on him again to hail him!"

The Summer Shelter bore down upon the other steamer, and her Captain hailed and hailed for half an hour, but no answer came from the Dunkery Beacon.

Willy Croup was so troubled by what had happened, and even more by what was not happening,—for she could not see any good which might come out of this persistent following of the one vessel by the other,—that her nerves disordered and tangled themselves to such a degree that she was scarcely able to cook.

But Mrs. Cliff kept up a strong heart. She felt that a great deal depended upon her. At any moment an emergency might arise when she would be called upon, as owner of the yacht, to decide what should be done. She hoped very earnestly that if the Captain of the Dunkery Beacon saw that the Summer Shelter was determined to follow him wherever he went, and whatever he[Pg 232] might do, he would at last get tired of being nagged in............