The crack of a revolver echoed up to Matt and Carl above the surge of the breakers.
"Who's doing the shooting, Dick?" asked Matt.
"McMillan. He sent a bullet across the Crescent's bows. That's an order for her to keep lying to until McMillan can come aboard. They're just taking Jurgens out of the boat and making the boat's painter fast. Ah!" There was excitement in Ferral's voice as he went on. "The skipper of the Crescent isn't obeying orders, but is going on out to sea. I'll bet McMillan is as mad as a cannibal. There he goes, blazing away at the Crescent—but he might as well throw his bullets into the air."
"The Crescent will be called to account for that!" exclaimed Matt.
"McMillan is pulling back to the pier," proceeded Dick, watching below. "What are we to do now, matey? We'd have had considerable trouble taking Jurgens off the rowboat, and it's a cinch we can't get him off that other craft."
"We'll follow the Crescent for a while," said the young motorist, "and see where she goes. Possibly she'll try to land Jurgens at some point on the mainland. If she does, we'll drop down there and do what we can to capture him."
For more than an hour the Crescent steered straight out into the ocean, the Hawk hovering above her. The sailboat was not putting out any lights, and the growing darkness rendered it impossible for Matt or Dick to see any one aboard her. They could hear voices, however, for sounds on the earth's surface are always wonderfully distinct to people in balloons or other air craft.
At the end of an hour and a half the Crescent put about. The Hawk followed the sailboat as far as the channel leading through the bar at the entrance to the Inlet. Having made sure that the sailboat would return to her usual berth, the boys headed their air ship for the beach.
"I guess McMillan will be on the lookout for the Crescent, Dick," said Matt, "but we ought to make sure that Jurgens don't get away. I believe I'll get out of the Hawk, close to the Inlet, and leave you to take the air ship back to her moorings."
"I can do that all right, messmate," answered Dick.