“And so Max has shown up again, has he?” cried Case. “We’ll have to land that boy where he won’t be so active.”
While the boys were discussing the situation a grating, flopping sound was heard in the cabin, and Jule rushed in just in time to see the cable which had held the Cartier to the Rambler drawing through the open window. In the excitement of getting Alex on board, the boys had neglected to secure the line and the launch was now dropping down stream.
Jule sprang for the end of the line, but did not reach it. It dropped down to the after deck and was drawn into the water.
“That’s a nice thing!” shouted the boy, rushing to the motors. “Now we’ve got to go down and catch that boat!”
It was some moments before the anchor could be lifted and the Rambler turned and sent down stream, so the Cartier was halfway to the little bay running in behind the Peninsula before the boys caught up with her.
“She won’t get away again,” Captain Joe declared shortening up the line and making it fast to the after deck cleats of the motor boat. “We haven’t got any time to go chasing runaway launches!”
As the old captain spoke, Case laid a hand on his arm and pointed to the projection on the peninsula behind which Captain Joe had listened on the night he had left the Rambler during his watch.
“There’s a blaze over there,” the boy said. “They must have a lot of men here to keep a force over there and another one between the two rivers.”
“Young man,” Captain Joe replied, “the man who is responsible for this whole mix-up is over there on the point, with a band of cutthroats.”
“Why don’t they go up and help the others?” asked Jule.