“But we have no flute-player.”
“Then he must have been a passenger,” said Dick, who hurried to the gangway.
After hailing his fireman to bring the launch alongside, he threw a quick glance about. The shore boatmen were pushing their craft abreast of the ladder and shouting as they got in each other’s way, but one boat had already left the ship and was pulling fast towards the harbor. There seemed to be only one man on board besides her crew, and Dick had no doubt that he was the flute-player. He must be followed, since it was important to find out whom he met and if, as Dick suspected, he meant to send off a telegram. But the liner’s captain must be warned, and Dick turned hastily around. The windlass was rattling and the bridge, on which he could see the captain’s burly figure, was some distance off, while the passage between the gangway and deckhouse was blocked by the departing guests.
The anchor would probably be up before he could push his way through the crowd, and if he was not carried off to sea, he would certainly lose sight of the spy. Writing a line or two on the leaf of his pocket-book, he tore it out and held it near a Creole steward boy.
“Take that to the sobrecargo at once,” he cried, and seeing the boy stoop to pick up the note, which fell to the deck, ran down the ladder.
He had, however, to wait a minute while the fireman brought the launch alongside between the other boats, and when they pushed off Don Sebastian, scrambling across one of the craft, jumped on board. He smiled when Dick looked at him with annoyed surprise.
“I think my business is yours, but there is no time for explanations,” he said. “Tell your man to go full speed.”
The launch quivered and leaped ahead with the foam curling at her bows, and Dick did not look round when he heard an expostulating shout. Jake and Bethune must get ashore as they could; his errand was too important to stop for them, particularly as he could no longer see the boat in front. She had crossed the glittering belt of moonlight and vanished into the shadow near the mole. Her occupant had had some minutes’ start and had probably landed, but it might be possible to find out where he had gone.
“Screw the valve wide open,” Dick told the fireman.
The rattle of the engine quickened a little, the launch lifted her bows, and her stern sank into the hollow of a following wave. When she steamed up the harbor a boat lay near some steps, and as the launch slackened speed Dick asked her crew which way their passenger had gone.