to crawl back to the other side of the mound. Joe Durgan, who was
evidently not nearly so "looney" as represented, had warned the
smugglers of the presence of the _Arrow_ near their retreat, and
Hugh realized that no time should be lost if Vinton were to spread
sail and go in pursuit of them or of the _Petrel_.

"Now's the time for me to beat it, too," he resolved. "While
they're talking they won't hear me or see me, and I can hurry back
to the place where I left my coat and shoes."

When he had gone some little distance without being discovered,
he fancied he was safe and rose to his feet, intending to run
as fast as his legs could carry him---which was no snail's pace,
indeed! Scarcely had he begun to move forward, however, when he
heard a shout, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

Being fleet of foot and having no desire to be caught and treated
as a spy, he set off running at full speed. The ground was quite
rough and he had to turn aside to avoid bushes and hollows, yet he
had no difficulty in keeping ahead of his pursuers. The very
impediments in his way served to retard pursuit, and he did not
despair of escaping. He had to cross over a ridge, at the top of
which he was exposed to view. He had just reached it, when he
heard some one shout:

"Stop! Come down,---or I'll fire!"

"Fire away!" thought Hugh, knowing how unlikely it was that any one
would be so desperate as to shoot at him. "You can't stop me with
that foolish bluff!"