“Thank you, sir,” exclaimed Adam. “I will let my crew know they are wanted, and when I have spoken a few words of comfort to my poor missus, who is ill in bed, I’ll be with you on board the Nancy.”
Adam, sending off a lad to summon his men, directed him at the same time to beg that Mrs Brown would come down and stay with his missus, while the two officers rode to the Texford Arms to leave their horses. They then hurried to the quay, where Adam and most of his crew were collected. As soon as the remainder arrived they went on board the Nancy. She was quickly under weigh, and the wind being off-shore ran out of the harbour.
“Is your boat a fast one?” asked Captain Headland of Adam.
“Yes, sir; not a faster out of the Tex, but I am afraid she has little chance of overhauling the lugger.”
“But if the wind falls light we may pull after her, and shall then have the advantage,” observed Captain Headland.
“She has got long sweeps too, sir. But we will try it, and my lads will give way with a will. I can trust them for that.”
“Ay, ay, no fear,” answered the men, looking towards the smuggler as if they were eager to be alongside her and to rescue Jacob.
“I believe that our best course would be to get on board the cutter, and for her to go in chase of the lugger,” said Harry; “though I do not think the smugglers would dare to oppose us if we could get up with them.”
“Whether or not, we will try to get back our Jacob, and the lads would make good play with the boat’s stretchers in spite of the cutlasses and pistols the villains have to fight with.”
“They would scarcely venture to use them when they see two king’s officers in the boat,” observed Headland.