“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.