“So here I am, all in a mess wid that little mate.  But th’ trunk av gold is safe on th’ cabin floor.”

I had nothing to say further than that the matter couldn’t be helped.  If the trunk was all right, we might land a fortune yet in the reward Jim had told us about.  Jackwell must have made off with a snug little sum.  I climbed over the side again with some of the skipper’s clothes, and we started slowly back to the brig to get him.

Ford was rowing bow oar, and Johnson aft, and both rowing easily made us go very slow.  However, there was no hurry.  Jackwell would in all probability take several drinks after his bath, and we would only have to wait aboard the whaler for him until he was ready.  The sea was so smooth that the boat hardly rippled through it, and the sun was warm, making me somewhat drowsy.  The two men rowed in silence for some time, and then Ford suddenly looked ahead to see how we were going.

“What’s the matter with the bloomin’ brig?” said he, rowing with his chin on his shoulder.

I looked around, and it seemed as though we had already gone the full distance to her, and yet had as far again to go.  The Pirate was certainly half a mile away and there was the brig still far ahead.

“Give way, bullies,” I said.  “Break an oar or two.”

The men made a response to the order, and the boat went along livelier.  I looked at the brig, and suddenly I noticed a thin trail of smoke coming from her maintop where the opening in the lower masthead should be.

We were now within fifty fathoms of her, when Jackwell came to the rail aft and looked at us.

“Give way, bullies, you’re going to sleep.”  I said.

In a few moments we were close aboard, but as we came up, the brig slewed her stern toward us, and then I noticed for the first time that she was moving slowly through the water.  There was no wind, and I knew in a moment that she was under steam.  She drifted away faster, and the men had all they could do to keep up.  Jackwell leaned over the taffrail and gazed calmly down at us.

“That’s it, boys, give it to her.  You’ll soon catch us and be towing us back again.  Sink me, Rolling, but you’re the biggest fool I ever saw,” he said.

I saw the water rippling away from the brig’s side, and now could see the disturbance under her stern where a small wheel turned rapidly.

“Throw us a line,” I cried to Jackwell.

“What d’ye want a line fer?  Are ye a-going with us to the Pacific, or are ye jest naturally short of lines, hey?”

“Throw us a line or we’ll have to quit,” I cried; “the men can’t keep up as it is.”

Jackwell let down the end of the spanker sheet, and Ford grabbed it, taking a turn around the thwart.  The boat still rushed rapidly along.