صفحة 179 من 416

Nellie was saying to herself: "The letter must have been very

personal or he would have told me about it. He never acted like

this before. There is something between them."

Suddenly astern of them sounded the flap of sails, rattle of

blocks, and shouted orders. They turned in time to see a schooner

come up into the wind all standing.

She was clothed in canvas from head to foot, with a balloon-jib

and staysail added, and made her position less than a hundred

yards away.

Schofield gazed at the schooner curiously. Then he leaned

forward, his eyes alight. There were certain points about her

that were familiar. With a fisherman's skill he had catalogued

her every point. He looked at the trail-board along her bows, and

where the name should have been there was a blank, painted-out

space.

It was the mystery schooner!