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.The faster you can do it, the quicker we’ll move.”Edmund started to go.“And boy! Keep an eye for rocks! They come up at you when you’re least aware — especially in shallows.I’ll need my eyes for the thieves.”Edmund scrambled to the forward sail, where he saw that Poe was still staring fixedly at the Sunrise.The intensity of his look made Edmund’s skin prickle.Throck held to his course.There were times when Edmund lost sight of the Sunrise completely.But after moments of breathless suspense, he would see the boat again.And once or twice, when they drew closer to the shore, he made out boulders, their jagged crowns breaking the surface of the water into froth and foam.Each time he cried, “Rocks!”“See them!” Throck returned.Sudden gusts of wind brought the rain down in curtain-like sheets, momentarily obscuring their view.As they tried to batter through the rising waves their pace became lumbering.Lightning and thunder cracked the sky.Five miles below Providence, the bay widened greatly.The Sunrise, reaching the point first, began to come about.“There!” shouted Throck.“Here’s our chance.Watch which way they go!”Edmund peered over the bow through the storm.He could see for himself that if the Sunrise turned successfully, she would have a long run toward the south.The Peggy would never be able to match her in speed.Suddenly, the Peggy made a move to starboard.The Sunrise, ahead, turned the same direction.“She’s going that way!” Edmund called, pointing west.In response Throck roared, “Coming about! Throw the jib!”The sail instantly refilled with wind.The boat heeled; spray and rain blew into Edmund’s face and prevented him from seeing.Wiping his wet hair out of his eyes, he searched for the Sunrise.He could no longer see her before them.He looked back.Shocked, he saw her there.As the Sunrise cut to the west, Throck, instead of following as Edmund expected him to do, cut to the southeast, running as close into the wind as possible.The two boats were going in opposite directions.Edmund spun about.“They’ll get away!” he cried, not understanding what was happening.“Patience, boy,” Throck called.“Patience!”Edmund stole a look at Poe.The man’s face was a tense mask, unreadable.Edmund turned his eyes toward the Sunrise again.The boats continued to sail in opposite directions.Anxiously, he waited for Throck to give orders to pull the jib and resume the chase.But Throck held a steady course.As Edmund strained to see, he could just barely make out the Sunrise coming about sharply and begin to make her move down the bay, bucking wind and waves.It was as if she was following them!“Mr.Throck!” Edmund cried out in bafflement.“They’re chasing us!”Throck grinned but held steady.Edmund gripped the ropes tightly, expecting Throck to come about.But to his dismay, Throck continued to hold the Peggy on the same southeasterly course, glancing often over his shoulder to judge the two boats’ relative positions.Kneeling on the bow, Edmund could feel his muscles beginning to cramp from tension.Then he heard Throck cry, “Ready, boy!”Edmund squeezed the jib lines as tight as he could.“Coming about!” Throck shouted.Edmund yanked.The jib whipped across the bow.Behind him, the boom swung to the portside with a crack.The Peggy came hard about, heeling so deeply that water trickled in over the thwarts.For a moment Edmund thought they were going to capsize, but a second later the boat pulled herself upright.Now the Peggy had the wind behind her and was flying up the bay with hardly a ripple or sound beneath her bow.To Edmund’s astonishment, she was heading straight for the Sunrise.“We’ve got them!” Throck yelled.Remembering Poe, Edmund looked around.The man remained wedged firmly against the mast, eyes fixed upon the other boat.Edmund grew more uneasy.But now Rachett and Peterson realized what had happened.As the two boats drew rapidly toward each other it was the Sunrise that came about with a hard heel which raked her mast dangerously toward the surface of the water as she headed back up the bay toward Providence.“Trapped them!” Throck exalted.Even Edmund saw it.“Hurrah!” he cheered.The next moment, however, he heard a bang.At first he thought it was lightning.Then he realized it was Peterson shooting at the Peggy.But with both boats moving north, the wind strong from the south, the rain unceasing, and the distance still great, bullets were of no use.Peterson soon gave up.Once again Rachett shifted his course, heading the Sunrise toward the western shore.“He’s heading for shallower water!” Throck cried.“Trying to pull us onto rocks! Watch for them!”But hardly had the Sunrise made that shift than she suddenly came about yet again.Once more the two boats were running head to head.As Edmund watched, torn between searching for rocks and gazing at the Sunrise, he saw Peterson disappear from view.In moments he reappeared.In his arms he was holding someone.Edmund leaped up.“He’s got Sis!” he screamed.She was struggling, but Peterson held her fast
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