At the alarm given by Fred, Ralph had stopped the engine again. But now the trip was once more resumed.
“If that was a boat carrying liquor from some rum-runner to the shore, perhaps the big vessel isn’t far off,” remarked Jack, a few minutes later.
The words had scarcely left his lips when all on board the motor boat saw that something unusual was going on just ahead of them. Before Ralph could slow down, the Fancy plowed her way between several small boats, and then struck a glancing blow on the bow of a large three-masted schooner.
“Hi! what are you doing there?” came in a bellowing tone from out of the rain and fog.
“It’s a government boat!”
“They’re spying on us!”
“Jump them, boys! Don’t let ’em get away!”
Such were some of the cries uttered by those aboard the strange boats.
In the meanwhile, Ralph had shut off the engine, but the shock of the collision had thrown most of the lads off their feet. Then, before the lads could recover, the Fancy was boarded by half a dozen burly men.