"What's the next act, Steve?" inquired Phil. Steve shook his head. "I'm wondering," he answered. "About all we can do is keep them from running away until they talk sense." "Why not let them run? We can go faster than they can." "I'm afraid of tricks," responded Steve. "I don't know these waters, and I suspect that they do. They might manage to give us the slip as they did last night. I guess when they find they can't get away they'll come to terms." Steve raised his head cautiously above the chart-box on his side and a bullet promptly ploughed through the frame of the open window in front of him and went singing astern. "Rotten shooting," observed Wink, as Steve ducked to safety. "Shall I give 'em one, Steve?" Steve hesitated and then shook his head. "What's the use? You'd only plug a hole in the _Follow Me's_ cabin. Wait until they show themselves." "Well, you take care not to show yourself," advised Wink, peering warily past the smoke-stack. "Those murderous pirates are shooting to kill, I guess." Another shot rang out across the dancing water and a bullet flattened itself against a pipe stanchion. "Guess you'd better put a shot into each of those ports," said Steve. "Maybe they'll keep away from them. Sorry to damage your boat, Harry." "Bother the damage!" said Harry. "Plug her full of lead if you like!" Wink's revolver spoke, and: "Bull's-eye," he announced calmly. Another shot followed. "Got that one, too," he muttered. "Can't see the other port from here, Steve. Smokestack's in the way. You try it." Steve tried and missed, the bullet knocking a long splinter from the edge of the cabin roof, and at the same moment a pistol aboard the _Follow Me_ barked and Perry, sitting crouched on one of the seats, uttered an exclamation. Phil, beside him, turned anxiously. Perry's face expressed blank amazement as he pushed his right sleeve up and gazed at a wound from which the blood was spurting. "Gosh," he said awedly, "I'm shot!" CHAPTER XIV A RUSE THAT FAILED "I should think so!" cried Phil. "Come on down and let me fix it." "What is it?" asked Steve anxiously. "Perry's hit in the arm. They must have shot along the side, and the bullet glanced from something. Come on, Perry." "All you fellows get out of here," commanded Steve. "It might happen again, and you're not doing any good here, anyway. The chest's in the bottom locker in our cabin, Phil. Is it bad?" "Don't think so," was the reply from the companion way. "Only a flesh wound, I guess. I'll look after it." Steve had forgotten to try a second shot at the port, but Wink again let go at where the glint of a revolver muzzle showed and a cry of pain came across the water. "Got him!" said Wink. "You must have," agreed Steve. "I hope you didn't hurt him much."