“I knew it,” whispered Uncle Luke. “He’s making for the harbour now.”
“Ah!” gasped Vine, as he almost dragged Louise over the rugged stones.
“Stop where you are,” said Uncle Luke, excitedly; and he placed something to his lips and gave a low shrill whistle.
It was answered instantly from the other side of the harbour.
“Leslie’s on the look-out. Yes, and the men with the boat,” he whispered, excitedly, as another low whistle was heard.
Then there was a few moments’ silence, as if people were listening, followed by steps once more, and a quick voice exclaimed from out of the darkness,
“Seen him?”
Neither of the group answered, and a man stepped up to them and flashed the light of a lantern quickly over them before closing it again.
“That’s you, is it?” he said. “I’ll have a word with you by and by; but look here, I call upon you two men in the Queen’s name to help me to take him. If you help him to get away, it’s felony, so you may take the consequences. You haven’t got to do with your local police now.”
The man turned away and walked swiftly back toward the town, the darkness seeming to swallow him up. He paused for a few moments at the edge of the harbour, to throw the light of his lantern across the water.