For a moment Arnold failed to detect the fleeing launch, and when he did he uttered a grunt of disappointment. “We’re certainly not gaining, Toby. She looks further away than she did.”
“Yes, but she’s stern-to. I don’t think we’ve lost any.” They were well past the Head now, and Nobbs Island Light was falling away to port. “What I’m wondering,” continued Toby, “is what we’re to do if we should catch her!”
Arnold had no answer ready, and Toby went on: “There’s probably at least a couple of men in that launch, and they’ve got pistols——”
“How do you know?” demanded Arnold.
“We heard them.”
“I don’t think so. The shots we heard were aimed away from the houseboat, Toby. If they hadn’t been we wouldn’t have seen the flashes. I guess it was the folks on the houseboat who did the firing.”
“That’s so. Still, it’s mighty likely that there’s a pistol on that launch, just the same, even if they didn’t use it. And we haven’t any; and wouldn’t know what to do with it if we had. So what are we to do when we catch them?”
“They won’t know who we are or how many there are of us,” replied Arnold. “And they won’t know that we haven’t plenty of revolvers, either. We’ll bluff them!”
Toby chuckled. “I’d rather have something to back up my bluff, I guess. I’m game if you are, though, Arn. Besides, I dare say we needn’t trouble about what’s to happen when we get them, for I don’t believe we’re going to.”