So the party returned to the shore and Red Hawkins and his four men were herded into the boat. They had not said a word, but on their way back to the cutter Red turned to the Hardy boys and snarled:
"Well, you've got me, but our men in the West got your father. We've got that much satisfaction, anyway!"
With that he lapsed into silence, realizing that his words had the immediate effect of dampening the spirits of the Hardy boys and their chums.
Back at the revenue cutter, Frank and Joe said good-bye to the officer and his men, leaving Red and his gang in their charge. The motorboat had been towed behind the ship and they resumed their places in the Sleuth and cast away.
Tony Prito and the others took their places in the Napoli while Chet and Biff returned to the Envoy. One of the captured boats turned out to be none other than Biff's own craft, which the gangsters had been using while they were prisoners in the cave. Thus the journey home began.
Although there was rejoicing in the other boats and much good-natured badinage was passed about, the Hardy boys found it difficult to be cheerful. Red's words had brought back to them their fears concerning the safety of their father and they dreaded the news that might await them when they returned to Bayport.
"If there is no news from him, I think we should go to Chicago and search for him," said Frank gravely.
"I'm with you in that. But perhaps it won't be so bad. Red may have been only trying to frighten us."
"I hope so. If that was his object he sure succeeded."
"At any rate, we found the missing chums."