Two vessels may be built alike and rigged alike, but that doesn't mean they will sail alike. The _Orion_, in the judgment of seafaring folk, was a shade faster reaching and running than the _Sirius_. At any rate, the _Orion_ proved to us that she was faster off the wind than we were by rounding Cape Cod before us. To there it had been a good passage. No collier loaded to her scuppers is ever going to break any sailing records, but hard driving had brought the pair of us along at a good clip. So far, fine; but it was to be a beat to windward for the rest of the way. West-north-west is the course from Cape Cod to Boston, and west-north-west was where the wind was coming from when it hit us on the nose as we rounded the Cape. The _Orion_ might outrun us, the _Sirius_, but to windward there was no difference except in their masters; and there we had the best of it. Norman Sickles could get more out of a vessel than his cousin when the going was bad. Oliver used to claw around deck like a sore-headed bear, and every now and then go below and have a drink for himself when things weren't breaking right. Norman took things more quietly, and so taking them wasn't too busy to grab every little chance that bobbed up. The _Orion_ stood off on one tack, we on the other, and by and by we lost her below the horizon; but standing in, after some hours found her again; and finding her, were pleased to see that we had made up something on her. We filled away once more, and by and by stood back to her. We were making distance fast. Had we held on we would have crossed her wake almost under her stern on that tack. On our next tack we would be crossing her bow, and it would then be on past the lightship in the lead, and the race over; for neither of us was going to tack up the channel, deep-loaded, against a tide which would soon be ebbing. Up at the harbor entrance two tugs had already seen that and were racing out to pick us up. To more quickly get in tow of the tug nearest us, which was coming hooked up for us, our captain put the _Sirius_ about earlier than he had originally intended. As we tacked, so did the _Orion_. We stood in toward the harbor. The _Orion_ stood in toward the harbor. We were surely going to pass close to each other--very close. Altogether too close. I didn't like the looks of things. Being a passenger, I had a mind free for other things than navigation. "In case of doubt who gives way--the _Orion_ or the _Sirius_?" I asked Captain Norman. "Why, she does," he said, surprised. "It has to be her--not us. Both of us close-hauled, but we being starboard tack have the right of way. He'll have to come about and give us the road." "But suppose, captain, he will not give way?" "What! not give way! That'd be foolish. He c'n go bulling his way on shore all he pleases, but out here he'll only get what's due him. He'll have to give way."