“It isn’t likely the old pirate will try to chase us this time,” said Dan. “He won’t have a tug handy as he did at Sanstable.”
“Well, we won’t run any risks,” said Nelson. “As soon as Spencer’s aboard we’ll make tracks.”
And so it was settled. But the plan was discussed and rediscussed many times during the afternoon. Time went very slowly. At four they took a run around the Battery and up the North River for a ways, as Nelson said, to see that the engine worked all right, but in reality, I think, to relieve the suspense of waiting. They had dinner ashore at a funny little café, on South Street, frequented principally by the better class of officers and sailors from the ships and steamboats along the adjacent waterfront. What they had was good, if plain, and they did full justice to it. Bob settled the bill at the little desk near the door when they had finished and the others went on out to the sidewalk. When Bob rejoined them his face showed that something had disturbed him.
“What’s up?” asked Nelson. For answer Bob seized him by the arm and hurried him away from in front of the restaurant, the others following.
“Captain Sander,” said Bob, when they were some distance away. “He was sitting at the table between the desk and the window!”
Dan whistled.
“Do you think he saw us?” asked Nelson.
Bob shook his head doubtfully.
“I don’t believe so. He had a paper propped up in front of him and he never looked up after I noticed him. I wish, though, we’d gone somewhere else for supper.”
“Yes,” agreed Dan, “it would have been better even to have eaten Tommy’s cooking!”