"About seventeen, I think. Still, Harry said the _Follow Me's_ best was
eighteen, and she isn't losing any, and so we may be doing eighteen,
too. Guess we might as well settle the matter right now, though."

With which he pulled the throttle to the limit, and the white cruiser,
quivering from stem to stern, forged ahead. "We're doing a good twenty
miles an hour now," shouted Steve above the hum of the motor, "and she
won't go any faster unless we get out and push!"

But twenty miles was fast enough to distance the _Follow Me_, although
that boat held on gamely all the way across the bay and only slowed down
when, a good quarter of a mile behind the _Adventurer_, she was abreast
Pelican Bar. The _Adventurer_ dropped her gait to twelve and presently
the black cruiser, having negotiated the inlet in the wake of the other
craft, drew within hailing distance and Harry Corwin called across
through the megaphone.

"Some boat, Steve!" he shouted. "We're satisfied!"

Steve waved back and the two cruisers settled down to their forty-mile
run along the shore, the _Follow Me_ gliding smoothly along abaft the
_Adventurer's_ starboard beam. They sighted few other craft this
morning, and, as there was a deal of sameness in the coast, the fellows
settled down to various occupations. Steve conducted a second class in
navigation, with Perry and Han as pupils, and Perry was allowed to take
the wheel all the way from Smith's Point to a position off the Moriches
Life-Saving Station. Phil went on with his letters, Ossie performed
mysterious rites in the galley, with Han looking on interestedly from
atop the dish-board, and Neil, exhausted by his labours as crew,