It'll be as dark as pitch by one or two o'clock, I guess."
"Well, we've got a searchlight," said Perry.
"There's no need for more than three of us to stay up," said Steve.
"I'll keep the wheel and Joe will stay here with me. Phil, you take the
watch for a couple of hours and then wake someone else."
"Huh!" said Perry. "I'm not going to bed! Who wants to sleep, anyway?"
Apparently no one did, for although presently the dozen fellows were
distributed over the boat, not one went below. Phil and Han stretched
themselves out at the bow, Steve, Joe, Harry and Tom Corwin and Cas
Temple remained on the bridge deck and the rest of the company retired
to the cockpit, from where, by looking along the after cabin roof, they
had a satisfactory view of the course. Perhaps one or two of the boys
did nod a little during the next two hours, but real slumber was far
from the minds of any of them. The _Adventurer_ was doing a good twenty
miles an hour, the propeller lashing the water into a long foaming path
that melted astern in the moonlight. Ossie busied himself in the galley
about midnight and served hot coffee and bread-and-butter sandwiches.
Only once was the _Adventurer_ changed from her course, which Steve had
laid for Gloucester, and then the light which had aroused their
suspicions was soon seen to belong to a coasting schooner beating her
way toward Boston.
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