Just before dark they raised the smoke of a steamer ahead and sailing athwart the destroyer’s course. This surely could not be the _Redbird_; yet the destroyer could not allow the stranger to pass without investigation. Her radio could get no answer from the ship. It seemed as though the stranger was running away from the _Colodia_. Naturally suspicion was aroused in the minds of the commander that it was the _Sea Pigeon_. But it became a blind chase as night fell upon them. They saw no lights, and the tropical night comes so suddenly that to have overtaken the steamship before dark was an utter impossibility. The destroyer swung back into her direct course for the point from which the last radio message of the _Redbird_ was supposed to have come. CHAPTER XXV--A NEW CONVOY At dawn, while a light fog still overspread the sea, the crash of distant guns was brought to the ears of the watch on duty. From what direction the reports came it was impossible for the _Colodia’s_ officers to determine. It was still too dark for the lookouts to make out anything at a distance, even had the morning been perfectly clear. But all hands were aroused, the word running from deck to deck that the destroyer was within sound of a naval action of some kind. It was not a signal gun they heard, for several shots were fired simultaneously. Then there was silence again. The _Colodia_ sped on her course, the hope being expressed by all that “blind luck,” if nothing else, might lead her to the scene. Just before the sun rose above the sea line the lookouts began to shout their discoveries. Out of the fog, but at a great distance, they saw the upper spars and canvas of a great sailing ship. The _Colodia’s_ direction was changed to run closer to this vessel. “It’s a chance we have found her,” murmured Whistler to George Belding. “She is square rigged, and she is some ship in size, believe me!” For, moment by moment, the fog was thinning and the outlines of the spars and sails became clearer. From the deck of the destroyer these became visible. The excitement of the Seacove boys and George Belding was quite overpowering. That their friends aboard the _Redbird_ were in the hands of mutineers they were assured; and now the guns, which began to speak again, forewarned of added peril! As the sun came out they saw that the upper canvas of the ship they had sighted was being furled. Sail after sail disappeared. It was as though she was being stripped of her canvas. “She’s under the guns of that raider, I’ll bet a cent!” declared Al Torrance. “So she has had to stop her headway. Those guns were for the purpose of making the ship--whoever she is--lie to.” “But if it is the _Redbird_, the Germans already have command of her,” cried Belding. “We don’t know who she is yet,” said Whistler. “Oi, oi!” gasped Ikey Rosenmeyer, “I’m so excited yet I can’t keep still. Isn’t it _great_, Frenchy?”