“Then I will go back to the battleship,” Virginia announced, with sudden decision. “I have changed my mind about going home.”
The captain bowed. “Very well, señorita. But I must ask you to be good enough to go a little out of your way. I presume you won’t object to putting me down at the fortress first.”
The girl frowned. Her one idea, now, was to return to the Kearsarge in the hope that she might be able to intercept Hawley before he set out on his hazardous expedition, and warn him that their plan had gone awry. “I hate to be disobliging,” she said to Reyes, “but you will have to wait.” She turned to the sailor at the wheel. “Back to the battleship—as quickly as you can,” she requested quietly.
“I beg your pardon,” said the Baracoan. “But I must insist. My business is urgent. We will first go to the fortress.”
Virginia gave him an indignant glance. “I think you are horrid to-night, Captain Reyes! I did not think that you could be so rude to a woman. However,” she continued, suddenly changing her mind as a new idea came to her, “it shall be as you say. We will take you to your fortress first. After all, it will mean only a few minutes’ delay.”
Reyes and Gale exchanged a smile of triumph. Possibly they would not have felt so jubilant, however, if they had guessed what Virginia had in mind. It had occurred to her that it might be too late to intercept Hawley, that he might already have started out for the fortress, in which case she believed she saw a way of rendering him valuable assistance by assenting to Reyes’ request.
As they drew near to El Torro, which loomed up blue-black in the moonlight, they caught sight of another navy launch heading for the fortress, and the girl’s pretty face became grim. She knew who was in that boat.
Reyes and Gale appeared to have the same knowledge. They jumped to their feet excitedly. “Hurry!” the Baracoan cried tensely to the man at the wheel. “If you get us there before that other boat lands I will make it well worth your while.”
But the jack-tar paid no attention to what he said. He was listening at that moment to Virginia, who had leaned forward and was whispering something in his ear.
In response to her request, the man grinned, and, giving the wheel a sharp turn, changed the craft’s course, at the same time slackening her speed.