“I don’t know, sir; but he freed himself of his shackles in some manner. There he goes now, sir, in the motor. You can just make him out.”
“How is it that you did not recapture him before he could get away?” demanded his lordship.
“Well, he came upon us all of a sudden like, sir. He knocked two men down before we knew what had happened. Then he put the boat over the side and jumped in. I took a shot at him, as he jumped, but missed. He must have started the engine the moment he struck the boat, for he was moving in a jiffy. We all ran to the rail, and fired several shots at him, but it doesn’t look like we hit him.”
Here Jack broke into the conversation.
“Why can’t I take the other boat and go after him?” he demanded. “I am sure I can overhaul him before he has gone very far. And, when I do—well, I’ll bring him back, all right.”
Lord Hastings hesitated for one moment.
“All right,” he finally said. “Take five men with you, and hustle.”
“I am going, too,” Frank broke in.
“Not much,” said Jack. “You have had all the glory. It’s time for me to get into this game.”
In almost less time than it takes to tell it, the second launch had been lowered and, with Jack at the steering wheel, was off in the darkness after the traitor. The powerful searchlight on the little boat lighted up the sea for a long distance ahead, and at least a mile away Jack could make out the craft in which Hardy was heading for the Danish coast.