Страница 293 из 416

"I was having a very delightful dinner up at Mallaby House with

Mrs. Tanner, Nellie's mother, you know"--she looked unconcernedly

out to sea--"when I got a message, part wireless and part

telegram, saying that Nat Burns had nabbed you in St. Pierre and

was racing with you to St. Andrew's.

"Well, I've sworn all along that you shouldn't come to any harm

through him, so I just left Freekirk Head the next morning on the

steamer, took a train to Halifax, and had the schooner pick me up

there. Off Halifax they told me that the Nettie B. was six hours

ahead of us and going hard, so we had to wing it out for all

there was in this one. I had provided all the naval fixings

before, realizing that we would probably have to use them some

time, and that's all there is to it."

"Well, Elsa, I'll say this--that I don't believe that there was

ever a schooner built that could outgame and outsail this one.

She's a wonder!"