Anxious as I was to go in search of Esau, I was obliged to obey, and I was directly after left to myself to pass quite a couple of hours before Gunson came back.
“No news yet,” he said; “the police are trying what they can do, but if he is in hiding they are not likely to succeed.”
“Then he is not in prison?”
“Oh, no; as far as I can hear, nothing has been seen of him.”
“I thought he might have got in some trouble, and been arrested. Then those men must be at the bottom of it, Mr Gunson.”
“Yes, I thought so, but what could I do? I told one of the chiefs of the police that I was afraid he had been attacked, and the man looked serious, and said ‘Very likely.’ Then he asked me to describe the men, and I did.”
“Well?” I said eagerly.
“He told me that my description was like that of hundreds of scoundrels about the place.”
“Let’s go and see if we can meet them anywhere about,” I said. “They were watching our hotel yesterday where we stayed.”
“Yes, I know,” said Gunson, thoughtfully. “It hardly seems likely. I don’t know, though, there are always men hanging about ports ready to do anything for the sake of a few shillings, all the world over.”