"What was that you threw on their boat?" demanded Baxter, turning to his toady.

"A seash.e.l.l," replied Mumps. "I thought I could hit d.i.c.k Rover with it."

"Humph, you had better take some lessons in throwing," muttered the bully. "You didn't come within a dozen feet of him."

"Never mind; I showed them I wasn't afraid of them," said Mumps, and turned away. Then he looked back anxiously. "I hope they pick it up and see what's inside!" he murmured. "Oh, but ain't I tired of this crowd! If ever I get out of this, you can wager I'll turn over a new leaf and cut Dan Baxter dead."

CHAPTER XXVII

THE COLLISION IN THE FOG

"Hullo! Mumps isn't keeping this flag of truce very good,"

remarked Sam, as the seash.e.l.l dropped at his feet.

"There is something inside of the sh.e.l.l," said Tom. "A bit of paper. Perhaps it's a message?"

"I'll soon see," returned his younger brother, and ran to where he could not be seen from the other yacht.

He pulled from the seash.e.l.l a small, square of paper, upon which had been hastily scrawled the following in lead pencil:

"I will help you all I can and hope you won't prosecute me. I will see that Dora S. gets something to eat, even if I give her my share. They intend to go to Sand Haven if they can give you the slip."

"Good for Mumps! He's coming to his senses," cried Sam, and showed the others the message. d.i.c.k read the words with much satisfaction.

"I hope he does stand by Dora," he said. "If so, I'll shield him all I can when the crowd is brought up for trial."

"If he tells the truth we may as well put into harbor and make for Sand Haven," said Martin Harris, who had now resumed the chase once more.

"Yes; but he may not be telling the truth," was Sergeant Brown's comment. "The whole thing may be a trick to get us to go to Sand Haven while that crowd goes somewhere else."

"I think they are tired of carrying the girl around," said Carter. "To give her up to us would have been no hardship."

"That's it," put in Martin Harris. "Well, I'm willing to do whatever the crowd says."

The matter was talked over at some length, and it was finally decided to cruise around after the _Flyaway_ for the best part of the day. If, when night came on, the other craft should steer in the direction of Sand Haven, they would do likewise, and land as soon as darkness came to cover up their movements.

Slowly the day wore along and the two yachts kept at about the same distance. They were both running due south, and land was out of sight as before.

"This is developing into a regular ocean trip and no mistake,"

remarked Tom, as he dropped into a seat near the cabin. "Who would have thought it when we left Cedarville in such a hurry?"

"I'd like to know how things are going up there," mused d.i.c.k.

"It will be too bad if Josiah Crabtree succeeds in marrying Mrs.

Stanhope while we are away."

"Let us hope for the best," put in Sam.

"Hullo, the _Flyaway_ is moving eastward!"

"What does that mean, Harris?" cried d.i.c.k.

"It means that they want to make the most of this wind,"

responded the skipper of the yacht grimly. "I'm learning a trick or two on 'em, and I'll overreach 'em if they ain't careful."

"You can't do it any too quick," answered d.i.c.k. "When next we meet there won't be quite so much talking. Instead, we'll have some acting, and pretty lively at that."

Sergeant Brown was questioned concerning his weapons, and said he had two pistols and Carter had the same. One of the extra weapons was loaned to d.i.c.k and the second went to Tom. It was decided that in case of a close brush Sam and Harris were to arm themselves with anything that was handy, but otherwise they were to attend to the sailing of the _Searchlight_.

Provisions, to use Tom's way of expressing it, were now "more than low," and as they ate the scant food dealt around, d.i.c.k could not help but think of how Dora might be faring.

"I'd willingly starve myself if only it would give her what she needs," he thought. It made him sick at heart to think of how she might be suffering.

Mile after mile was pa.s.sed, until the sun began to descend over to the westward. The yachts were now close on to quarter of a mile apart.

"Here comes another steamer!" cried Tom presently. "Look here, why can't we get some help from her?"

"Perhaps we can!" burst out d.i.c.k. "I never thought of that."

"Let us signal her anyway," suggested Sergeant Brown.

A flag was run up as high as the topmast permitted, and they headed directly for the steamer's course.

As the ship came closer they made her out to be a big "tramp"

from the South American trade. For the benefit of those who do not know, let me state that a tramp steamer is one going from one port to another regardless of any regular route, the movements of the craft depending entirely upon the freight to be picked up.

"She sees the signal!" exclaimed d.i.c.k, after an anxious wait of several minutes.

Slowly the steamer came up to them, and then her ponderous engines ceased to work.

"What is wanted?" came in Spanish from a dark-looking man on the forward deck.

"Can't you talk English?" cried d.i.c.k.

"A leetle."

"We are after that other sail-boat. The men in her are thieves and have abducted a girl, too. Will you help us catch them?"

At this the man on the steamer drew down his face and held a consultation with several behind him.

"You are sure they are thieves?" he asked presently.

"Yes."

"Have they with them the money that was stolen?"