They were thus engaged in sailing and eating when the Sea Hawk hove into view astern, overhauling them rapidly. John was sitting, facing aft, and saw her first.
“Great heaps of dangle-berries!” said he. “The Sea Hawk is after us! Let’s run off before the wind!”
“Where you going to run to, John, under sail, and against the power of that yacht?” queried Stan, quietly. “And have you forgotten that we are just a couple of boys out for pleasure?”
“You’re right! If we turn tail and run the Sea Hawk would suppose us suspicious characters providing anybody aboard suspected our identities.”
The white and fast yacht overtook the sloop rapidly and both boys had sinking feelings in their stomachs. John insisted on going below and digging out their bows and arrows from a narrow slit under the bunks and bringing them into the cockpit. If the men on the Sea Hawk closed in it would be a warm reception at any rate!
Closer and closer came the big craft but, as she neared the sloop the Sea Hawk veered away a little and then held her course again taking her across the bows of the sailing boat a hundred yards distant. Hegarty, easily distinguished by his height and build was standing on the bridge.
Stan took one hand from the wheel and waved a greeting. Hegarty and another man nearby returned the wave and shouted something which could not be made out because of the distance.
“And that’s that, John!” grunted Stan, breathing freely as the yacht drew off round the island.
It was Stan, facing forward, who first saw the gray motorboat which came humming round the island and began circling the Sea Hawk. The binoculars showed a fat and dumpy fellow standing in the rear cockpit of the speedboat.
Dago appeared to be shouting back and forth at Hegarty and the Sea Hawk was moving slower now while the gray boat circled about her. The speedboat was making heavy weather of it, splashing about in white water among the waves and Dago appeared very angry. As the Staghound began to overtake the white yacht, the gray boat drew off and started down toward the sloop.