aron," interrupted Jack, "but if he is
anything like Davis, I haven't any use for him on general principles."

"He's just a bit worse, if that is possible," declared Lord Hastings.

"Then we shall have to get him," declared Frank.

"Right," agreed Jack. "A man like that is too dangerous to be running
around loose."

"We may as well proceed then," Lord Hastings decided. "The chances are
we shall find them at the mouth of the river. However, we will hardly
pick them up before daylight."

And Lord Hastings was right.

Day dawned cool and grey, and in spite of their heavy oilskins, Frank
and Jack were chilled to the bone from their long stay in the cold.
Several times Lord Hastings had asked them if they wished to go below
and warm up a bit, but each was too interested to leave his post for a
moment.

"Can't tell what minute we may run across them, sir," Jack had said,
"and I want to get even for the miss I made a while ago."

A slight fog rose over the water. Lord Hastings gave an exclamation of
impatience.

"Even the elements conspire against us," he said aggrievedly.

"It's not much of a fog, sir," said Jack. "It may lift at any minute."

But it didn't lift, and at noon was as dense as before.

But the very fact of the fog finally brought the pursuers upon their
quarry.

A small boat appeared suddenly perhaps a hundred yards ahead, barely
visible in the gloom.

"Looks like them, sir," declared Jack.

"What makes you think so?" demanded Lord Hastings, at the same time
throwing over the wheel.

"I don't know, sir," replied Jack. "I don't really mean it looks like
them. I just think it is them. It's what Frank would call a--a--a----"

"Hunch." Frank supplied the word.

"That's it," agreed Jack. "A hunch, sir."

"We'll see," said Lord Hastings grimly.

At this moment the occupants of the craft ahead realized that they were
pursued. The boat bounded ahead with a sudden burst of speed.

"It must be they," declared Lord Hastings. "If they were not here for
some ulterior purpose they wouldn't run."

He signalled full speed ahead and the motorboat sprang forward.

"Shall I have a shot at them?" shouted Jack.

"Not yet," replied Lord Hastings. "It may not be the boat we are after."

The race continued.

Suddenly the foremost boat swerved sharply to the left, then dashed
straight ahead again.

"They are heading for the shore, sir!" shouted Jack.

The pursuing boat also swerved sharply, one side d