Meanwhile, where was the second launch and crew? Even going at full
speed, it was plainly evident to all on board that there was little
prospect of overtaking the _Sybil_.
When the party had returned to the bank of the stream after an
unsuccessful search of the little woods, it had not needed the wave of
Shirley's hand from the _Sybil_ to tell them what had happened. It was
Dick who spoke first.
"They have doubled back on their tracks and captured the girls and the
launch," he exclaimed when he noticed Shirley and Mabel were nowhere to
be seen.
The others cried out in alarm. In the distance they could see the launch
speeding down the stream. It was at that moment Shirley rose and waved
to them. Leonard's keen eyes caught the signal, and he cried out:
"Into the other launch quick and after them!"
Hastily jumping aboard, the second launch was put into motion and they
gave chase at full speed.
But the _Sybil_ gained steadily.
"It's no use," said Jenkins. "We can't catch them. As I told you, the
_Sybil_ can outrun anything in these parts."
"We'll keep after them anyhow," said Dick. "You never can tell what will
happen. They may meet with an accident."
And so the five continued their apparently hopeless pursuit. An hour
later, Leonard, who stood in the extreme bow of the launch, straining
his eyes ahead, exclaimed aloud. The others looked at him eagerly, and
he pointed straight ahead.
"There's the _Sybil_," he cried. "She's run ashore. They must have
landed."
A few minutes later the launch ran up alongside the _Sybil_ and all
jumped out.
"If we only knew which way they went," said Leonard.
Dick had been looking at the ground carefully. In the soft mud there was
not a single footprint. Dick looked at the engine of the _Sybil_. It was
still running.
"They didn't land here," he said quietly.
"What?" exclaimed Leonard.
"I say, they didn't land here."
"How do you make that out?"
"Well, if they had landed here there would certainly be footprints. They
couldn't have walked through this soft mud without leaving tracks."
"The lad is right," murmured Jenkins.
"Then how do you account for the launch being here?" asked one of the
policemen.
"Easily," said Dick. "They started the engine and let her go. See, the
engine is still running, and if she had not been caught in this bunch of
weeds she would still be going down stream."
"You are right," Leonard agreed. "And there is no telling how far back
they deserted her. What shall we do?"
"First," said Jenkins, "we'll reoccupy the _Sybil_ and leave the other
launch here."
"After which," said Dick, "we'll turn back, and go slowly, keeping as
close to shore as possible. We may be able to find where they landed."
This plan was adopted. Jenkins turned the _Sybil's_ head upstream once
more, and they started off slowly, keeping close in-shore.
For half an hour they moved along, and then Dick's keen eyes caught
sight of a piece of white fluttering from a bush fifty feet ahead. He
looked at it steadily for a few moments, and then gave a start.
"Run in here," he commanded Jenkins.
The latter did as he was told. Dick leaped lightly ashore and approached
the fluttering piece of white, which he now saw was a handkerchief. He
picked it up and returned to the boat.
"Do you recognize this?" he asked, passing it to Leonard.
Leonard glanced at it carefully. In one corner were two small initials.
"M.A.," he read. "Mabel Ashton," he exclaimed. "How do you suppose that
got there?"
"It's plain enough," said Dick simply. "She dropped it there in the
hopes that we might find it, and so learn where they had landed."
"Then," said Leonard, "there should be footprints."
"Not here," said Dick. "You will notice that the ground is very rocky.
Evidently that is the reason Jones selected this spot to land."
"By Jove!" said Leonard.
Dick spoke again. "They must have gone this way. We might as well get
out and look around a bit."
Accordingly all stepped ashore.
"Now," said Dick, "I would suggest that we all spread out, keeping about
a hundred yards apart, and go straight ahead."
Leonard, who had been scrutinizing the ground carefully, uttered an
exclamation. The others hurried to him.
"A path!" exclaimed Leonard. "They probably went this way."
"We'll see where the path leads at any rate," said Dick. "Nevertheless I
suggest that we spread out just the same. They may not have stuck to the
path."
This plan was acted upon, and the five spread on either side of the
path. Leonard took the path, while on his right were the two officers,
each a hundred yards apart, and on his left Jenkins and Dick, also the
same distance apart.
They started forward.
For half an hour they walked on, and gradually the woods became more
dense, making progress difficult. Suddenly it began to grow dark.
Leonard glanced at his watch.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "It's after six. I had no idea it was so
late."
He gave a shrill whistle, a prearranged signal, and the others came
toward him.
"We must try and do something before dark," he explained. "We don't want
to stay here all night, and we can't give up the chase until we have
found the girls."
"We shall have to go more swiftly, then," said Dick. "Back to your
places, men."
All spread out again, and the advance continued.
Suddenly Leonard spied something white in the path ahead of him. He
stooped and picked it up. It was a second handkerchief. Leonard looked
for some mark of identification. In a corner he found the initials
"S.W."
"We are on the right track," he muttered to himself.
And then he stopped still.
Two shrill whistles split the air.
A moment more and the others gathered around him.
"What's the matter?" they asked.
Dick, the last to appear, came up at that moment.
"I've found them," he whispered.
"Where?" demanded the others.
"There is a little shack a short distance ahead," Dick explained. "I
could see smoke coming from the chimney. I feel sure that Jones,
thinking he has given us the slip, has ordered a halt."
"Well," said Leonard, "what are we going to do about it? We can't stand
here all night."
"The thing to do," said Jenkins, "is to surround the place, and then
close in on them. There are only two of them."
"You'll find there will only be one when it comes to a fight," said Dick
grimly. "My uncle Briggs won't take a hand."
"So much the better," said Leonard. "Then we have only Jones to contend
with."
"Right," said Dick, "and Jones is for me to handle."
Leonard looked at him peculiarly.
"Oh, all right," he said. "If that's the way you feel about it I won't
interfere unless you have need of me."
"I won't have any need of you," was the reply. "But come, let's get
busy."
It was quite dark now, but the stars already twinkled and there was
promise of bright moonlight. The five made their way forward stealthily.
Ten minutes later they came within sight of the shanty, and they stopped
for a moment. Suddenly Dick pointed straight ahead.
"Look," he whispered.
The others gazed in the direction he pointed. There, lying upon the
ground, they recognized the figures of Jones, Briggs and Jimmy.
"Guess they have let the girls sleep in the house," said Leonard. "Now
is a good time to advance. The men are asleep."
Cautiously they advanced again, and then, when they were perhaps twenty
yards from the sleepers, Jones suddenly sat up and looked around.
His eyes fell upon the cautiously-approaching figures, and he jumped to
his feet with an exclamation of dismay, and turned to run. But Dick was
too quick for him.
Dashing forward at top speed, he hurled himself forward and caught Jones
by the legs. Jones came to the ground with a crash.
He was up in a moment, however, and grappling with his assailant. But
this time Dick was prepared for him, and with solid ground under his
feet, he was more than a match for the older man.
Backward and forward, backward and forward they swayed, each trying to
gain a hold by which he might throw the other. And Dick got his first.
Exerting his utmost strength, he heaved as hard as he could, and Jones,
large though he was, went crashing to the ground, where he lay still.
In falling his head had come in contact with a sharp stone, and he was
temporarily stunned.
In the meantime, the others had subdued Briggs, and then had stopped to
watch the struggle between Jones and Dick. That over, Leonard stooped
and unbound and ungagged Jimmy, and then turned toward the shanty.
"Might as well let the girls out," he said.
He knocked upon the door. There was no response and he knocked again.
Still no response.
Leonard burst the door in with a single kick of his foot and stepped
over the threshold. Then he started back in amazement and uttered a low
cry.
"What's the matter?" demanded Dick, approaching and peering over his
shoulder.
"Matter!" repeated Leonard. "Matter enough! The girls are not here!"