Nicky agreed.
From the stem they watched the chase. Several shots were fired at them, but they could guess, by the diminishing light of each succeeding flash, that they were drawing away from the cutter.
“But she won’t give up,” Nicky proclaimed. “She will hang on like a bulldog.”
“I wonder why Don Ortiga doesn’t give up the run for the archipelago and stand out to sea?” Tom said.
Captain Ortiga had a different plan. He knew that the Government boat would never give up, and he wished to use that very point for his own advantage. He planned to make the other boat very sure that he would continue along the Cape Sable coastline. He wished them to follow.
Therefore, to the chums’ amazement, he caused the mast light to be switched on, and even reduced their speed a little, so that the cutter would pursue, but would be just out of dangerous range.
“Why is he doing this?” Nicky wondered. “Let’s find out! We’re part of his crew, aren’t we? He ought to tell us.”
Cliff laughed at Nicky’s assumption that they were real hi-jackers, but the trio trooped into the cabin. They found Mate Tew there, going over some of the weapons in the arsenal.
“Well, my hearties!” Tew explained, “it’s this way. Don Ortiga’s got a grudge ag’inst them Government snoopers! He hates ’em!”
Don Ortiga, Nicky mused, seemed to have a grudge against almost everybody—the government men, his brother—who else?