“I’ll swing for it if Mr. Lazar recognizes me,” O’Neil muttered, “but the fun’ll be worth it.”
The black smudge in the road ahead of them slowly took shape out of the darkness. The anxious seekers breathed easier, as they looked to their weapons.
“Bring her alongside,” O’Neil ordered the amazed chauffeur.
The man did not relish this hazardous undertaking on a rough and narrow road, but the sight of the sailor’s revolver gave him the courage to steer his machine abreast of the fleeing automobile ahead of them.
“Hold there!” Captain Garcia shouted firing his revolver to emphasize his order; “we want to speak to you.”
The other machine immediately slowed and the two cars were soon motionless side by side on the road.
It was but the work of a second for our two friends to leap out of their car and throw back the curtains of the other car. O’Neil, with his automobile goggles concealing the upper part of his face, advanced, his revolver in front of him covering the occupants inside. Captain Garcia covered with his revolver the trembling chauffeur.
“They are not here,” O’Neil gasped; “they have tricked us again.”
O’Neil was in despair. Captain Garcia’s watch showed it was nearly three o’clock. Their enemies had surely gone to La Boca hours ago and had used this automobile to delay them until they could get Craig safely on board the ship and away from the harbor.
“They knew we had followed ’em,” O’Neil exclaimed. “That native wasn’t as sleepy as we thought.”