the fat sailor.
"What is the nearest American town to here?" asked Tom.
"Ze nearest place?"
"Yes."
"Buryport."
"And how far is that from here?"
"Ten or eleven miles."
"Then we will sail for that place, and at once."
At this Crabtree looked surprised.
"You are going to Buryport at once? What about the others you said were with you?"
"I will answer no questions." Tom turned around and winked at Sam, who had heard the previous conversation. "I guess they'll follow right enough, eh?"
"Sure," answered Sam. "Dick knows what he's doing, and so does that detective."
"A detective!" groaned Josiah Crabtree. "Has it come to this!" And he wrung his hands nervously.
"Mr. Crabtree, I must ask you to step forward," went on Tom. "I do not wish you to go below."
"Why?"
"I do not wish you to worry Mrs. Stanhope," answered the youth. But what he was afraid of was that Crabtree might take it into his head to arm himself and bring on further trouble.
"As you please," answered the former teacher, with a shrug of his shoulders. "You seem to have matters well in hand." And he strode forward, biting his lip in vexation. He would have tried to escape to the island, only he was afraid no one would ever come to rescue him.
While speaking, Tom had taken the pains to display the pistol taken from the sailor at the cave. Sam now took up a short iron bar lying near, and both boys showed that they meant to remain masters of the situation. The Canadians noted this, but said nothing, for they felt something was wrong and they wished to get into no trouble. A few minutes later the anchor was brought up, the sails hoisted, and the Wellington stood away from Needle Point Island.
CHAPTER XXII
THE SECRET OF THE ISLAND CAVE
It is now time that we go back to the Rocket and see how Dick and those with him were faring.
At the announcement that a schooner looking like the Peacock was in sight he ran on deck with all speed, and caught up a glass belonging to the owner of the steam tug.
"It's the Peacock, sure," he cried.
"See anything o' that Captain Langless or them Baxters?" asked Luke Peterson.
"I see somebody, but we are too far off to make out their faces."
The order was passed to the engineer of the tug, and the speed of the craft was materially increased.
But before they could come up to the schooner she disappeared around a headland of the island.
"We must run out a bit," said Captain Parsons. "There is a nasty reef here, and if we aint careful we'll get aground."
"Where do you suppose the Peacock has gone?" asked Dick.
" Into one of the bays, most likely."
"Can we follow her?"
"Of course. The tug doesn't draw any more water than the schooner, if as much."
"Perhaps we had better see how the land lays before we approach too close," suggested Peterson. "They may be prepared to fight us off."
"That is true," said Dick. "Perhaps we can slip into another bay close by."
So it was arranged, and they sped on their way, passing the bay in which the Peacock lay.
Near the island was a quantity of driftwood, and they had just gotten out of sight of the bay when there was a sudden grinding and crashing sound on board of the tug, and the engineer shut off the steam power.
"A breakdown!" exclaimed the captain, and so it proved. The screw had become entangled in the limb of a tree, and sufficient damage had been done to render the screw useless.
This was indeed an unlooked-for accident, and Dick wondered what they had best do.
"We can't use the screw at all?" he asked of the engineer, after an examination.
"Not until I have had a chance to repair it."
"And how long will the repairs take?"
"Can't tell till I get at work. Maybe an hour or two, maybe half a day."
This was dismaying information, and Dick held a consultation with Larry Colby and Luke.
"I know what I'd do," said Larry. "I'd have the captain of the tug land me at some point above here, and then I'd watch the Peacock from behind some bushes on shore."
This was considered good advice, and Dick agreed to act upon it. He spoke to Parsons, and a small boat was put out, and Dick, Larry, and Peterson were rowed to land.
"Now what will you do with the tug?" asked the eldest Rover.
"We'll haul her in to a safe spot," answered Parsons. "I don't believe those repairs will take over a couple of hours. Then we'll be at your service again."
Once on land Dick led the way into the woods, moving in the direction of the bay where he had last seen the Peacock.
He was armed, and so were his companions, but they wished, if possible, to avoid all trouble. They had landed at a spot where the rocks were numerous and the ground uncertain, and they had not proceeded far when Luke Peterson called a halt.
"We want to be careful here," he said. "This island is full of caves and pitfalls and, before you know it, you'll break a leg."
"It is certainly an ideal hiding place," returned Larry. "Hi, Dick! what's that?"
"What's what?"
"I thought I saw somebody in the brush yonder."
Dick shook his head.
"I saw nothing."
"Neither did I," put in the lumberman. "Who did it look like?"
"Perhaps I was mistaken and it was a bird flitting through the brush. Come on."
Larry plunged ahead and Dick followed.
Both had hardly taken a dozen steps when each gave a yell.
"What's up now?" cried Peterson, and came after them at a bound.
Then all tried to scramble back.
It was too late.
