"At last!" cried the captain; and before Jack could utter the question upon his lips as to what that stroke meant, order after order was delivered in quick succession. At the first the cable was slipped. At the second, the star, which was vividly lighting up the approaching canoes, suddenly went out, leaving everything in darkness, for there was not another light visible on board. And at the third, a peculiar vibration made the slight yacht quiver from stem to stern, for the engine was in motion under a good head of steam, and the propeller revolved slowly in reverse, so that the yacht moved astern as fast as the canoes approached. This went on for a few minutes, with captain and mate standing by the wheel, and the former suddenly turned to Sir John. "I can't keep this up in the dark, sir," he said. "Perhaps we had better give them a shot or two." "Why not keep on retreating?" "Because at any moment we may retreat on to a sharp coral rock, and be at their mercy." "Try everything first." "I will, sir," said the captain; and suddenly changing his tactics, the order was given, the light flashed out again, and the canoes were made out four times the distance away, the men paddling with all their might, but stopping instantly in utter astonishment, for they were in perfect ignorance of the distance having been put between them, all being invisible in the darkness which followed the shutting off of the light. There was another yell now, and plunging their paddles in again, the water once more flashed and foamed in the brilliant light. Then there was a stroke on the engine-room gong down below, and the propeller began to revolve; two more strokes, directly after, another three, and the yacht gathered more and more way till she was rushing on full speed ahead, her light, like a brilliant star, hiding everything behind her, and apparently just above the surface of the water, bearing rapidly down for the centre of the little fleet of canoes. On she went, and as she neared the rate at which the paddles were used increased in speed too, but it was to get out of the way, for the steersmen turned off to starboard and port, and though the slightest turn of the wheel would have sent the _Silver Star_ crashing through either of the canoes the captain had chosen to select, she was steered straight through the little fleet till she was three or four hundred yards astern, and the canoes were invisible in the darkness. Then by a clever manoeuvre she was swung round in very little more than her own length, the light which had been shut off as soon as they passed being opened upon the enemy again, and the occupants of the deck saw the two pairs of canoes now lying waiting as if undecided. Once more the order to go on full speed rang out, and the yacht was steered for the nearest canoe.