At full speed and without lights, the _Sea Spume_ rushed through the darkness, threading her way among the islands by the faint light of the stars reflected from the dancing water. Her course was perilous in the extreme. At any moment an unseen rock might rise in the way and bring her to hopeless ruin. But delay was more perilous than rocks, and the _Sea Spume_ sped breathlessly on. Marie Fitzhugh was responsible both for the speed and the course. As the yacht dashed from the inlet into open water and veered southward, she climbed to the bridge where Captain Wilson and Caruth were standing. “North! North, for your life, Captain!” she cried. Captain Wilson grasped the engine-room indicator. “Why north?” he demanded. “Stockholm lies southwest.” “We can never reach Stockholm. What! Do you think escape is to be so easily made? No! Russia has gone too far to stop now. The path to the west and south--the path to any foreign port--is guarded. To the north and east lies our only chance.” Captain Wilson hesitated, but Caruth took control. “North, please. Captain,” he commanded; “and as fast as you dare.” An instant more and the _Sea Spume_ swept round, heading northward around Burndo. As it turned, the girl spoke again. “I think their plan was to have us looted unofficially,” she said, “and then, after they had gotten the gold, to shoot a lot of the looters to satisfy international conditions. But unless they are fools, they must have prepared for just what has happened. If half a dozen torpedo-boats are not hunting for us this very minute, I miss my guess. Why they were not waiting for us at the mouth of the inlet, I can’t for the life of me understand, but if we get to port without chancing on them, we shall be luckier than I dare hope. They’ll never let us get away with the gold--and of course they must think we have it.” “The gold! Who has got it?” But instead of answering, the girl, with a half-choked sob, hurried down the ladder, leaving the two men alone. Caruth hesitated for a moment, yearning to follow and comfort her, yet uncertain whether it would be best to do so. Captain Wilson’s voice aroused him. “We’ll be round the island in half an hour or more,” he said gruffly. “Which way shall I head then?” Caruth shook his head. “I don’t know, Captain,” he confessed. “I’ll talk with Miss Fitzhugh, and see what she thinks.” “Might as well, I reckon. She’s got more brains than most women.” Swiftly Caruth descended to the cabin and there, as he had expected, he found the girl who had been the inspiration of the whole trip.