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.