IN THE NIGHT.
“I believe that is the _White Wings_!”
Diamond uttered the exclamation, being in a flurry of excitement.
It was sunset on the Eastern Bay, and far in the distance, slowly
creeping round an island, was a sail.
Again the boys had heard from the _White Wings_. She had been seen by
some lobster fishermen, and they aided the pursuers in striking the
right course.
Green’s Landing had been passed, and they were amid the islands of the
Reach, getting well down, however, toward Isle au Haut.
The _Fox_ was under full head of steam, and she was making a pretty wake
as she sped through the water.
“Oh, for half an hour more of daylight!” exclaimed Frank.
“I think we have enough of it to overtake them,” said Howard Dustan. “If
that is the _White Wings_, I do not believe they will get away from us
to-night.”
“I hope not.”
The sail disappeared beyond the island.
The sun slowly sank from view, and purple shadows began to gather about
the wooded islands.
Every eye on the _Fox_ was strained to catch another glimpse of the
sail, but it could not be seen. The launch ran round the island, but
still nothing of the sloop was visible.
“What has become of her?” asked Diamond, in disappointment.
“It must be she has run into some cove and anchored,” said Hodge. “She
has pulled down her sail, and so we can’t see her.”
“But where is the cove?”
“That is for us to find.”
But they could not find it. Darkness came down all too swiftly, and they
began to lose hope.
“We are close to them,” said Frank. “That is pretty certain. If they
hide from us to-night, we’ll run them down to-morrow.”
“But we must find them to-night!” palpitated Diamond, who was quivering
with eagerness. “If we do not, there is no telling what may happen. They
may find a way to slip us during the night.”
“That is hardly probable.”
“Why not? They stole the yacht in the night.”
“But they took her in the Western Bay, which is comparatively free from
islands and dangerous ledges. This bay is full of islands, ledges,
sunken reefs and every kind of danger. They will do no sailing in the
night.”
“That’s right,” nodded Howard Dustan. “If they do, ’tis almost certain
they will run the yacht on a ledge.”
“But I don’t think much of letting them hide from us when we were so
close upon them,” said Jack.
“They must have seen us, and they were crafty enough to hide. But we
have the advantage of them, for we can sail almost anywhere, while they
depend on the wind. We’ll run them down in the end.”
Dustan was running slowly now, for he knew they were in danger of
striking a ledge or rock themselves.
It was growing darker and darker. Toward shore the shadows were black,
so that a small vessel might lie close under an island and not be seen.
“What shall we do, Mr. Merriwell?” asked Howard.
“We’ll have to anchor for the night,” said Frank. “The accommodations
for sleeping on board are not the best, but we’ll have to get along some
way.”
“Let’s find some sheltered spot to anchor,” urged Diamond. “There is a
swell here, and it tosses this light boat around too much to suit me.”
“We’ll have to get into the lee of an island somewhere, if we can’t find
a cove,” said Frank. “Why not run over to that small island there,
Dustan?”
Near at hand an island rose like a black blot on the face of the water.
It could be faintly seen through the gloom.
It was agreed that shelter might be found near the smaller island, and
so the _Fox_ was headed that way. The run was made slowly, and the
launch crept up to the island much as a mouse might creep up to smell a
sleeping lion.
Close under the shore the swell was broken, and the light launch rested
gently on the water.
“There is a cove,” said Hodge. “Can we get in there?”
“It’s narrow,” came doubtfully from Dustan, who was still at the wheel.
“We may strike a sunken rock if we try to get in there in the darkness.”
“Which way is the tide running?” asked Frank.
“It’s coming in.”
“Then, if we go forward slowly enough, we’ll soon float off, if we
should happen to hang up on a rock. There is no need to break in the
bottom of the launch by running on at full speed.”
“Will you chance it?” asked Howard.
“Yes, I’ll pay all damages.”
“Then here goes.”
So they slowly crept in through a cleft in the rocks, which soon rose
black and ugly on both sides of them. Merriwell lighted the small
lantern with which the launch was provided and crept out on the bow with
it in his hand, so that the light might show Dustan how to steer.
The light shone on the smooth water and against the black sides of the
rocks which rose to the right and left. The motion of the screw set the
waves lapping up against the rocks with a swishing sound.
“We are all right in here,” said Dustan, “unless the water is so shallow
that we’ll be aground at low tide. We’ll have to make a sounding.”
The lead and line was taken out, and Diamond sounded. He found there was
enough water so the yacht could not touch bottom at low tide. Indeed,
all were astonished by the depth of the water. The launch lay close up
against the rocks, and there it was found there was sufficient water.
“We can moor her here,” said Frank. “All that is needed is some bumpers
to keep her from rubbing against the rocks, and we may be able to find
them on shore. There are two points of rock to which she can be made
fast.”
In a very few moments the launch was moored against the rocky wall, and
then Frank prepared to go ashore.
“Come, Hodge,” he said, “let’s see if we can find some timbers that will
serve as bumpers.”
“I am with you,” said Bart.
“Take the lantern,” advised Dustan. “It may aid you in your search.”
So, linking the lantern chain over his arm, Frank started to climb up
the face of the black rocks. The lantern swayed and gave out a changing,
uncertain light, but it was better than no light.
Hodge followed Merry, but he took plenty of time to find the clefts in
the rock and fasten his fingers there so that his hold was secure.
Reaching the top, Frank turned and gave Bart a hand, aiding him up. Then
they leaned out, Frank holding the lantern at arm’s length, and looked
down on the boat.
Dustan and Diamond were looking up at them, the light of the lantern
showing their upturned faces.
“That would be a nice position for the launch if an enemy took a fancy
to drop a few large rocks down on you,” said Merry.
“Don’t mention it!” exclaimed Dustan. “You make me nervous.”
There were cedars and small trees on the island, but Frank began to
doubt if they would be able to find what they wanted. They climbed to
the crest of the island, where they found themselves amid the thick
cedars.
“A fellow might get turned round here so he wouldn’t know how to find
his way back to the launch,” said Hodge.
“All he’d have to do would be to circle the island,” assured Frank.
“He’d be sure to find it.”
As they were not provided with an ax, they were not able to cut anything
to serve for bumpers.
Suddenly, Frank’s hand touched Bart’s wrist, and he whispered:
“Listen!”
They stood still in their tracks, listening intently for some moments.
All was still, save for the breaking of the swell against the southern
end of the island.
“What was it?” asked Bart.
“I fancied I heard voices.”
“You must have been mistaken.”
“It seems so, but I could have sworn I heard the voices of men.”
They moved on a few steps, and then up before them rose a dozen white
objects that fled away into the cedars with a scurrying sound.
“Whew! What were those?”
Hodge was startled; his voice betrayed it.
“Sheep,” laughed Frank. “They gave me a start. The first one jumped out
from under my feet.”
“They looked like spooks, but the rattle of their feet was no spookish
sound. My heart tried to play leap-frog with itself.”
“There may be a sheep pen of some sort on the island. If so, we’ll be
able to find some timbers for bumpers. Let’s look for it.”
They continued their search, passing on over the ridge of the island and
making their way through the cedars, where they fancied they might find
the sheep pen they sought.
They had not gone far on that side of the island before both halted, and
Hodge whispered:
“What’s that light down there?”
“That’s what I’m looking at,” said Frank. “It’s not on the island.”
“No. It’s off shore.”
“Then it must be on some kind of vessel.”
“Sure.”
“Perhaps——”
“The _White Wings_.”
“Who knows—it may be!”
They were silent as they stood watching the light. It rose and fell with
a gentle motion, telling them beyond a doubt that it was on a vessel.
“Let’s go down there,” suggested Hodge. “Perhaps we can get close enough
to make out what she is.”
Frank extinguished the lighted lantern.
“It would betray us,” he said. “Now we will go down.”
They made their way slowly down through the cedars. At times they could
not see the light, but on coming out from the thick bushes it was
plainly in view.
As they approached the shore, they found there was a cove on that side
of the island. It was much larger than the one they had run into with
the _Fox_, and it was not so well protected, for the vessel at anchor
there felt the swell which was heaving into the Reach from the open sea
outside.
They took every precaution not to be seen or heard, and crept down close
to the shore.
The light on board the vessel showed them she was small, and the longer
they watched her the firmer became their conviction that she was the
stolen yacht.
“If we could get off to her without arousing those on board, we’d be
able to capture her, Bart,” said Frank.
“Let’s try it!” palpitated Hodge.
“How?”
“Swim!”
“We might do that, but we could not carry any weapons.”
“Don’t need them. We’ll find something after we get on board.”
Hodge was quivering with eagerness. The thought of making such an
attempt filled his heart with a fierce longing for the struggle. He felt
that he was ready for any sort of adventure, as long as Frank Merriwell
was with him.
At first Frank was inclined to take the desperate venture. It would not
be difficult to swim out to the vessel, and, in all probability, those
on board of her would be asleep. It was possible she could be taken
without much of a struggle.
Then came another scheme. Why not return to the launch, back out of the
cove on her, creep round the island, lay alongside the yacht, board her
and take her that way?
That seemed the better plan, and he whispered it to Hodge.
“What a surprise it would be for Diamond and Dustan if we were to do the
job all alone,” said Bart, who seemed reluctant to give up the original
scheme.
“That would be very fine, but we know from report that at least three
men were concerned in stealing the yacht. What if we boarded her,
cramped by the cold of the water, and were overcome by numbers? That
would be a bad piece of business. I think we had better use every
precaution.”
“Well, you are in charge of this business, and I am ready to do as you
say.”
“Then let’s go back to the launch and tell the others what we have
discovered.”
“All right.”
They made their way back into the cedars, and climbed to the crest of
the island. From that point the light could not be seen, as some of the
cedars intercepted their view.
“But we know it is down there,” said Hodge, who was glowing with
enthusiasm caused by their discovery. “It’s on the _White Wings_, too,
and we’ll soon have her back, Merry. What will you do to the rascals who
stole her?”
“I’ll not decide on that till I recover the yacht,” said Frank. “We have
not got her yet.”
“But we shall!”
“In time.”
“To-night.”
“I hope so.”
It was not such an easy thing to go straight to the cove in the rocks
where lay the _Fox_. Frank decided that the light from the lantern might
aid them, and, as they were hidden so no one on the vessel could see
them, he lighted up again.
After a time they came to the cove, but here a great surprise awaited
them. Looking down into the cleft amid the rocks, they could see nothing
of the _Fox_.
The cove was empty!
“This can’t be the place, Frank!” exclaimed Bart. “The launch is not
here!”
“It is the place where we left her, just the same,” said Merriwell.
“Right here is where we climbed up the rocks, and down there are the
points to which she was made fast.”
“It can’t be, for she isn’t here now, and we can see the most of this
little cove.”
“She has moved,” said Frank, “but she must be near.”
Then he softly hailed, calling Diamond’s name.
There was no answer!
“Of all the mysterious things that ever happened, I think this is the
strangest!” gasped Hodge, bewildered. “I can see now that this is where
we left her, but she has vanished.”
“As completely as if the island had swallowed her. Neither Dustan nor
Diamond would have thought of leaving this spot till we returned.”
“Of course not.”
They looked into each other’s eyes by the light of the lantern, which
Frank held up, and they seemed utterly bewildered. Again and again Frank
called.
Behind them there was a sound. They leaped up and turned. In the
darkness two black forms loomed. The lantern was dashed from Frank’s
hand and shattered on the rocks, from which it bounded, striking with a
splash in the water below.
A moment later Frank and Bart were engaged in a desperate struggle with
unknown assailants.
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