“Just the same, there’s something queer about her.”
“Nothing but what will admit of an explanation,” was the reply. “As for the way they are dodging us, it’s just what I expected. Honest men would not run away from us any more than they would go sneaking about in such a mysterious way at night.”
“Maybe they are only fish dynamiters,” suggested Harry Ware. “You know how strictly the law is dealt out to those rascals, and there have been several Canadian fish destroyers caught on the American side lately, and stiff terms dealt out to them.”
“Pshaw! Fish dynamiters are poor, poverty-stricken fellows who are too lazy to get fish in a proper, lawful manner, and crawl out at night to ply their trade in wretched, patched-up boats! No mere fish dynamiters could afford a swift, powerful craft such as the one ahead surely is.”
“That’s so,” agreed Harry, “but that craft ahead is surely a riddle just the same. I think——”
He broke off with what might be fairly termed a yell.
“Ow!—oo! Look there! Now do you say that there isn’t something more than natural about that boat?”
In spite of himself, Ralph felt his scalp stiffen as he beheld the extraordinary sight to which Harry’s alarmed exclamation had attracted his attention.
Outlined against the night in a vivid green glare was what appeared to be a boat of living flame!
The water around her burned lambently as the apparently flaming boat plunged along through it.