The cutter, in the meantime, had pursued to the best of her speed during most of the night, but when the Senorita rounded the western end of Cape Sable and was, for the time, out of sight of her pursuer, a man on the cutter sighted what he took to be her lights again.
They were not, however. A coasting schooner, of the old type, blown somewhat off her course, had hove in sight.
Naturally, not being aware of the true facts, and supposing that the quarry had doubled on her course to escape them, believing that her masthead light—which the schooner’s light, from the rear, closely duplicated, was that of the Senorita, the cutter changed her course.
By dawn she overhauled the schooner, saw her mistake and lay to, her commander and Mr. Neale and the others completely baffled.
Had they been pursing that schooner all the while?
At the same time Nicky was delivering an oration, on the silent, stricken Senorita.
“Now, fellows,” he said, “we have to organize. We’re the captain, and crew, and cook and cabin boy, all in three. Which is which? If the cutter doesn’t come, we have to make plans. Those men will come back. They may not be able to use this boat again but they will want to find out what we know about the treasure before they leave—and they may do something to us after we’ve told. We ‘signed on’ in a way as pirates—hi-jackers.”
“And, sure enough, we are hi-jackers!” exclaimed Cliff. “We’ve taken a whole ship!”
“That’s so!” said Tom. “Well, I move that the Mystery Boys nominate the acting chief for this year of their order as Captain in this emergency.”
“Second the motion!” cried Cliff.