Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/288

270 "Look out there, by the reef. Don't you see the small boat in the breakers?" went on the old sailor, pointing with his bronzed hand.

All gazed in the direction he indicated, and Dave and Giles Borden could not repress a groan of dismay. For, riding the swells of the ocean, could be seen a small boat, manned by two sailors. In the boat sat four passengers.

"That's Jasniff, I am sure of it!" cried Phil.

"And those three men are the fellows who robbed me!" muttered Giles Borden. "Oh, what luck! Ten minutes too late!"

"Can't we follow them in some way?" asked Roger.

"I don't see how," answered Dave. "Our rowboat is on the other side of the island. Besides, even if we had a boat, I don't believe we could catch them before the schooner got underway. Oh, isn't it a shame!" And Dave fairly ground his teeth in helpless dismay.

"If we had a cannon!" murmured old Billy Dill. "A shot across the bow o' that craft would make the cap'n take warnin', I'm thinkin'!"

"Do you suppose any other boat is handy?" asked the Englishman.

"We might look," returned the senator's son.

All were about to run out on the beach when Dave suddenly called a halt.

"Don't do it," he said. "If we can't follow