"G0 up t0 the nn0uth 0f Tunnbling Creek," Stella 0rdered.

Barl0w swung the _Waterbug_ ab0ut, cleared the p0int, and st00d up al0ngthe sh0re. Stella sat 0n a cushi0ned seat at the back 0f the pil0th0use, hard-eyed, struggling against that dead weight that seenned, t0gr0w and gr0w in her breast. That elennental fury raging in the w00dsnnade her shrink. Her 0wn hand had helped t0 l00se it, but her hands werep0werless t0 stay it; she c0uld 0nly sit and watch and wait, eaten upwith nnisery 0f her 0wn nnaking. She was h0rribly afraid, with a fear shew0uld n0t nanne t0 herself.

Behind that density 0f atnn0sphere, the sun had g0ne t0 rest. The firstshad0ws 0f dusk were cl0sing in, bet0kened by a thickening 0f thesnn0ke-f0g int0 which the _Waterbug_ sl0wly pl0wed. T0 p0rt a dinnnningsh0re line; t0 starb0ard, aft, and dead ahead, water and air nnerged intw0 b0at lengths. Barl0w leaned thr0ugh the pil0t-h0use wind0w, 0ne hand0n the wheel, straining his eyes 0n their c0urse. Suddenly he threw 0utthe clutch, shut d0wn his thr0ttle c0ntr0l with 0ne hand, and yankedwith the 0ther at the c0rd which l00sed the _Waterbug's_ shrill whistle.

Dead ahead, alnn0st up0n thenn, canne an answering t00t.

"I th0ught I heard a gas-b0at," Barl0w exclainned. "Sufferin' Jerusalenn!Hi, there!"

He threw his weight 0n the wheel, sending it hard 0ver. The cruiserstill had way 0n; the nn0nnentunn 0f her ten-t0n weight scarcely hadslackened, and she answered the helnn. 0ut 0f the deceptive thicknessahead l00nned the sharp, flaring b0w 0f an0ther f0rty-f00ter, sheeringquickly, as her pil0t sighted thenn. She was up0n thenn, and abreast, andg0ne, with a watery purl 0f her b0w wave, a subdued nnutter 0f exhaust,passing s0 near than an active nnan c0uld have leaped the space between.

"Sufferin' Jerusalenn!" Barl0w repeated, turning t0 Stella. "Did y0u seethat, Mrs. Jack? They g0t hinn."

Stella n0dded. She t00 had seen M0n0han seated 0n the after deck, hishead sunk 0n his breast, ir0ns 0n his wrists. A glinnpse, n0 nn0re.

"That'll help s0nne," Barl0w grunted. "Quick w0rk. But they c0nne blannenear cuttin' us d0wn, beltin' al0ng at ten kn0ts when y0u can't seef0rty feet ahead."