The night shut down blacker than ever as the green glare that had outlined the fleeing craft in such startling fashion died out.
But right ahead the light still shone, the light that Ralph knew was the stern lamp of the craft they were pursuing. It had apparently been hoisted in defiance, and this made the young captain all the more determined to find out more about the gray stranger.
“What are you going to do if you do overtake her?” asked Harry.
This question was a poser. Ralph, in the excitement of the chase, had not considered this. He had no right to board the stranger or even to question those on board, for legally he had nothing upon which to proceed.
“It may prove to be a foolish chase, after all,” he admitted. “It may all come to nothing, but I couldn’t sleep unless I did what I could toward unraveling the mystery that I am sure envelops that craft. No men would go to the pains to rig up a ghost scare and all that unless they had a mighty good reason for doing so. I’m going to keep after her till I get close enough to hail her.”
“What then?” demanded Harry.
“Why, I don’t just know,” admitted Captain Ralph, “but if I don’t get satisfactory answers to my questions I mean to follow her till she makes port and report the matter to the authorities, and then it will be up to them. I feel justified in doing this from the fact that she has been seen off our island, presumably on mischief bent.”
There came a sudden sharp outcry from the bow.
Ralph gazed ahead and his heart fairly jumped into his throat.
Dead ahead, right under the bows of the onrushing River Swallow, was the light they had been pursuing, the stern light of the other motor boat.