“Maybe some other boat stopped and took him off the island,” said Captain Harrison.
“Well, maybe one did,” agreed Cousin Jasper. “If so, that’s all the better. But if Jack is still there we’ll get him. Thank you, Captain Harrison.”
Then the two motor boats started up again, one to go on to her dock at St. Augustine and the other—the one with the Bobbsey twins on board—heading for the deep blue sea which lay beyond.
“Do you think you can find Jack?” asked Freddie, as he stood beside Captain Crane, who was steering the Swallow.
“Well, yes, little fat fireman. I hope so,” was the answer. “If Captain Harrison saw him running around the island, waving something for a flag, that shows he was alive, anyhow, and not sick, as he was when the folks took Mr. Dent off. So that’s a good sign.”
“But it was more than a week ago,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “Of course we all hope he can be found, but we must hurry as fast as we can.”
“That’s right,” said Cousin Jasper. “Make the boat go as fast as you can, Captain Crane.”
“I will,” answered the seaman. “You’ll see how quickly my Swallow can skim over the waves.”
Now that they were started on their voyage over the sea the Bobbsey twins had a good chance to get better acquainted with Cousin Jasper. There had been so much to do in getting ready for the trip and in leaving the hotel that they had hardly spoken to him, or he to them.
But now that they were all on board the motor boat, and there was nowhere else to go, and nothing to do, except to sit around on deck, or eat when the meal times came, there was a chance to see Cousin Jasper better and to talk with him more.