“I saw where he went,” said Mark. “Into the alley way. Come on, Hockley.”
“I’m with you,” was the answer, and both boys hurried on as fast as the condition of the thoroughfare would permit.
Dan Markel was thoroughly alarmed, for he felt that if he was captured Professor Strong would see to it that he was given a long term of imprisonment.
“They shan’t get me this trip,” he muttered to himself, and seeing a doorway open close at hand, darted through this, into a large warehouse. From the entrance he made his way among a number of boxes and barrels to the rear. Beyond was another alleyway and he leaped into this. With all the speed left to him he managed in a few minutes to gain the boulevard where the carriages ran between Macuto and La Guayra. A vehicle containing only a couple of passengers was passing and he leaped into this.
“I wish to get to La Guayra as soon as possible,” he said to the driver. “An extra bolivar for you if you whip up your horses.”
“Si, señor,” was the answer, and the driver cracked his whip. Away went the turnout; and that was the last seen of Dan Markel for some time to come.
CHAPTER XX
A SHORT VOYAGE WESTWARD
Two days later found our friends on board a steamer bound for the Gulf of Maracaibo. The weather was all that could be desired, and for the most part all were in excellent spirits, the single exception being Hockley, who still mourned the loss of his money and timepiece.
“It’s a shame we didn’t catch Dan Markel in Macuto,” said the lank youth more than once. “I think we might have done it if the professor hadn’t been so slow to act.”
“We did all we could,” had been Mark’s answer. “But that Markel is a mighty slick one, and we’ll have to get up bright and early to corner him.”