CHAPTER XIII
BULLETS FLY
A half-mile or so beyond a black cruiser lay at anchor at the mouth of acove on the island side of the sound. She was broadside-to and one lookat her was enough for Harry Corwin. "It is!" he cried. "We've got her,fellows!"
"Not yet," warned Phil as the fellows clustered from all parts of theboat. "That's her, but how are we going to get her back? Hadn't webetter stop here, Steve, and decide what to do? Those men aren't goingto give her up just for the asking, I guess."
"Right," agreed Steve. "Bow anchor, Han! Let her go as soon as you'reready. Now then, fellows, let's think what's to be done." The_Adventurer_ pulled at the anchor line with her nose, found furtherprogress stopped and slowly began to swing around with the tide. "Thereare three of them at least, according to the gasoline chap back there,and there are twelve of us, but if they have guns--"
"We've got two revolvers," said Perry eagerly. "Shall I get them,Steve?"
"Yes, fetch them up here, but we don't want to use them unless inself-defence. Don't forget the cartridges, Perry. Now suppose we moseyup to where we can talk to them, fellows."
"That's the ticket," agreed Wink Wheeler. "If they get to acting ugly,why, I guess there are enough of us to handle them. I think the best wayis to beat it right up there and tell them to hand the boat over."
"And if they decline?" inquired Phil.
"Go in and take it!"
"And, as like as not, get shot full of holes! No, thanks!" This from"Brownie."
"How would it do for some of us to land and keep out of sight and comearound back of them?" asked Cas Temple.
"What are we going to do with them if we catch them?" Tom Corwin wantedto know. "Take them back and hand them over to the police?"
"I don't believe they'll let us catch them," answered Phil. "Eitherthey'll take to that small boat they've got astern there or they'll tryto make a dash past us."
"It is!" he cried. "We've got her, fellows!"]
"Much good that would do them!" Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The_Adventurer_ can sail all around our boat."
"We're not getting anywhere," observed Steve, who had been all the whilewatching the other craft attentively. "And they've seen us at last, forthey're looking over the top of the cabin."
"Well, let's do something," said Perry, who was back with the tworevolvers and as many boxes of cartridges. "Can they go the other way ordo they have to pass us to get out of this place, Steve?"
"They can go the other way for about five miles according to the chart,but they can't get out. There's a bridge there. And, anyway, I guessit's only navigable for small boats at high tide. Perry, for the love oflemons, drop those things and let them alone."
"They aren't loaded," said Perry, injuredly.
"That's the kind that always blow your head off. Well, what's thedecision, fellows?"
Everyone talked at once for a minute, and, at last, Phil said: "Why notdo the natural thing and ask for our boat? Why let them think that weexpect trouble? Perhaps when they see that the game's up they'll give insensibly."
"That's the idea," agreed Harry and most of the rest. "Let's breezeright up to them and talk big."
"We'll never get the _Follow Me_ by lying here, anyway," said Steve,turning to the wheel. "Get your anchor up, Han. Give him a hand,someone. Wink, open a box of those cartridges and load the revolvers,will you? But keep them out of Perry's way! All right now. Settle down,fellows, and we'll try a bluff."
The _Adventurer_ went on and the distance between the two boats lessenedrapidly. They could see two men watching them over the top of the cabin,but there was no sign of alarm visible aboard the _Follow Me_. When the_Adventurer_ was almost opposite the black cruiser Steve threw out theclutch, turned the wheel and let her run shoreward. "We're getting outof the channel," he said to Harry. "Watch for sand-bars." He slipped theclutch in again and again disengaged it. The two boats were some twentyyards apart now and the men on the _Follow Me_ were observing thenewcomers unblinkingly from the cockpit.
Steve leaned over the rail and sent a hail across. "_Follow Me_, ahoy!"he called. "We'll trouble you for that boat, please."
For a moment there was no answer. Then one of the two men in sightmoved forward and drawled: "Speaking to us, are you? What was it yousaid?"
"I said we'd trouble you for that boat," repeated Steve. "It happens tobelong to us, you see."
"This boat?"
"That identical boat."
"Belongs to you!"
"You've got it."
"That's a good joke, friend. We've owned this boat three years. Where doyou come in?"
"She's the _Follow Me_, even if you have painted her name out, and youtook her from her anchorage in Plymouth Harbour last night. What's theuse of throwing a fool bluff like that?"
The man laughed hoarsely and his companion joined him. "Run away, kids!"he said finally. "You're crazy with the heat. This boat's the_Esmeralda_, of Providence, and she belongs to me and this feller. Whatdo you mean, took her? Callin' me a thief, are you?"
"I'm not taking the trouble to. If you know what's good for you you'lldig out of there and do it quick."
"Is that so?" drawled the man. "Well, ain't that nice? An' supposin' itdon't suit me to hand over my boat to you? Then what you goin' to do?"
"Take her," answered Steve quietly. "There are twelve of us here andwe've followed you all the way from Plymouth, and we aren't likely tolet you bluff us off now. Come on, now, what do you say?"
"Come on and take her, kids!" was the answer. "We're scared to death!"The men thought that extremely funny, and laughed a lot over it. Justthen, Steve, leaning outboard over the railing, felt someone tug at hisarm.
"Look at the middle port, Steve," whispered Phil.
Steve looked. The nearer side of the _Follow Me_ was in shadow, but aquivering beam of sunlight, reflected from the surface of the water,glinted on the muzzle of a revolver held just inside the open port.
"Every fellow under cover," said Steve quietly. "That means you, too,Joe. Duck! They've got a gun trained on us. Who's the best shot here?"
"Wink," answered Joe.
"Give him one of the revolvers. Are you there, Wink?"
"Yes," answered the other from the forward companion way.
"Get a bead on that middle port. You'll see a gun sticking throughthere. Don't shoot unless they shoot first. Better go into the othercabin. There's no harm in letting them see you, but don't keep your headexposed. Someone hand me that other revolver."
On the other boat Steve's silence was accepted as a confession ofindecision and a jeering laugh came across the water. The _Adventurer_was drifting toward the shore now, and Steve turned and slipped theclutch into reverse and churned back a few yards. Then he faced the menagain.
"You can't get away with it, you know," he said untroubledly. "We canstay here as long as you can. If you run we'll follow you, and at thefirst port we'll hand you over to the authorities. You've only gotthirty gallons of gas and that won't take you far. If you have any senseyou'll pile into your tender and light out while you've got a goodchance."
It was evident that those on the stolen boat had glimpsed Wink'srevolver, for one of the men leaned toward his companion and spoke inlow tones and their eyes sought the port. After a moment the spokesmanreplied placatingly. "Maybe you're right, Sport. Guess you've got usthis time. But this ain't any place to go ashore. Tell you what we'lldo. We'll run her back to Gloucester and hand her over to you there.That's fair, ain't it?"
"It doesn't listen well," answered Steve. "You land on the other sidethere and you'll only have to walk a few miles to a train."
"Yeah, walk about six miles across sand dunes in a sun hot enough toblister you! Nothin' doin', Sport. Take it or leave it."
"Leave it, thanks."
For answer one of the men climbed to the cabin roof and went forward."He's going to pull up anchor," warned Joe, peering over the rail.Steve's voice rang out sharply:
"If you touch that cable
we'll shoot!"
The man paused, stared across doubtfully and went on.
"Can you hear me, Wink?" asked Steve softly.
"Yes," came from the after cabin.
"If he lays a hand on the anchor cable, shoot, but shoot wide."
"All right, Steve!"
"Say," called the man in the cockpit, "don't you start nothin', becausewe got you covered. If there's any shootin' you'll get the worst of it."
The man forward dropped to a knee, his gaze turned warily toward theenemy, and took hold of the anchor cable. As he did so Steve whipped hisrevolver into sight and flattened himself against the bulkhead. A sharpreport broke the silence and a bullet sang its way across the _FollowMe's_ bow. The man dropped the rope and sprang back along the roof totumble frightenedly into the cockpit. From the cabin of the _Adventurer_floated up the acrid smoke of Wink's revolver. The man at the stern ofthe other boat had instantly disappeared.
"Look out," shouted Perry from the forward cabin. "They're going toshoot from the ports! Come down from there, Steve!"
But Steve's hand was on the clutch and, as the _Adventurer_ began to goastern, his other hand turned the spokes of the wheel and the cruiser'sbow came slowly around toward the _Follow Me._ "Come up here, Wink," hecalled, and then: "Put that hatch up all the way and keep behind it," headded as Wink slipped to his side. "Can you get them from there?"
"Fine!" answered the other cheerfully.
"I'll try to keep her bow-on. Careful not to kill anyone, old man. Shootfor their arms."
"How can I when they're out of sight down there?" Wink complained. "AllI can do is shoot for the ports."
"Don't shoot at all unless you have to," Steve cautioned. "We don't wantto knock any more splinters off her than necessary."
"We're too near, Steve. The deck's getting in the way."
"I'll back her off." The _Adventurer_ retreated until Wink, his elbowresting on the closed cover of the chart-box, could train his revolveron the _Follow Me's_ ports. Several of the others emerged from thecabins and huddled from sight on the deck.
"What's the next act, Steve?" inquired Phil.
Steve shook his head. "I'm wondering," he answered. "About all we can dois keep them from running away until they talk sense."
"Why not let them run? We can go faster than they can."
"I'm afraid of tricks," responded Steve. "I don't know these waters, andI suspect that they do. They might manage to give us the slip as theydid last night. I guess when they find they can't get away they'll cometo terms." Steve raised his head cautiously above the chart-box on hisside and a bullet promptly ploughed through the frame of the openwindow in front of him and went singing astern.
"Rotten shooting," observed Wink, as Steve ducked to safety. "Shall Igive 'em one, Steve?"
Steve hesitated and then shook his head. "What's the use? You'd onlyplug a hole in the _Follow Me's_ cabin. Wait until they showthemselves."
"Well, you take care not to show yourself," advised Wink, peering warilypast the smoke-stack. "Those murderous pirates are shooting to kill, Iguess."
Another shot rang out across the dancing water and a bullet flatteneditself against a pipe stanchion. "Guess you'd better put a shot intoeach of those ports," said Steve. "Maybe they'll keep away from them.Sorry to damage your boat, Harry."
"Bother the damage!" said Harry. "Plug her full of lead if you like!"
Wink's revolver spoke, and: "Bull's-eye," he announced calmly. Anothershot followed. "Got that one, too," he muttered. "Can't see the otherport from here, Steve. Smokestack's in the way. You try it."
Steve tried and missed, the bullet knocking a long splinter from theedge of the cabin roof, and at the same moment a pistol aboard the_Follow Me_ barked and Perry, sitting crouched on one of the seats,uttered an exclamation. Phil, beside him, turned anxiously. Perry's faceexpressed blank amazement as he pushed his right sleeve up and gazed ata wound from which the blood was spurting.
"Gosh," he said awedly, "I'm shot!"