"I"m afraid we wouldn"t stand much chance with her," laughed Captain Simms.
They watched the black boat for a time, but she appeared to slacken speed as she drew closer, as if those in charge of her had no desire to come any nearer to the _Skipjack_ than they were.
"That"s odd," remarked Jack. "There is evidently nothing the matter with her engine, but for all that they don"t seem to want to pa.s.s us. That"s the first fast boat I ever saw act that way."
"It does seem queer," said Captain Simms, and suddenly his brow clouded.
"Could it be possible----" he exclaimed, and stopped short.
Jack looked at him in a questioning way.
"Could what be possible, sir?" he asked.
"Why, that Judson and the others are on board that black craft?"
"Ginger! That never occurred to me!" cried Jack; "and yet, if they were following us to find out where you are located that would be just the sort of way in which they would behave."
"So I was thinking," said Captain Simms thoughtfully. "However, we can soon find out."
He opened a locker and took out his binoculars. Then he focused them on the black craft.
"Well?" questioned Jack, as the captain laid them down again.
"There"s a man at the wheel, but he isn"t the least like your descriptions of your men," said the captain.
"What does he look like?" questioned Billy.
"He"s rather tall and has a full black beard," was the answer.
"Then it"s not one of Judson"s crowd," said Jack with conviction.
"I guess we are all the victims of nerves to-day," smiled the captain.
They swung round a point and threaded the channel that led among the shoaly waters of Musky Bay. The point shut out any rearward view of the black motor boat and they saw no more of it. Captain Simms invited them up to the house he occupied, which was isolated from the half dozen or so small habitations that made up the settlement. It was plainly furnished and the living room was littered with papers and doc.u.ments.
"What made you select Musky Bay as a retreat?" asked Jack.
"I come from up in this part of the country," rejoined Captain Simms, "and I thought this would be a good quiet place to hide myself till my work was complete. But it seems," he added, with a smile, "that I may have been mistaken."
"Oh, I don"t know," replied Jack. "Those fellows would never think of trailing you here. I guess they think you are still in Clayton."
"Let us hope so, anyway," said the captain, and here the discussion ended.
Soon after they said good-by, promising to run over again before long.
Their boat was all ready for them. A good job had been done with it.
"It looks as good as new," commented Jack.
"She"s a fine boat," said Billy.
"A regular pippin," agreed Noddy.
"Well, young men, your-craft-will-carry-you-through many a blow yet.
She"s as nice a little-ship-as-I-ever-saw."
"I guess he says that of every boat that brings him a job," grinned Noddy, as Jack paid the man, and they got ready to get under way. A light breeze had risen, and they were soon skimming along, taking great care to avoid shoals and sand-banks. By standing up to steer, Jack was easily able to trace the deeper water by its darker color and they got out of the bay without trouble.
As they glided round the point, which had shrouded the black motor boat from their view when they entered the bay, Billy, who was in the bow, uttered a sharp cry and pointed. The others looked in the direction he indicated, realizing that something unusual was up.
"Well, look at that, will you?" exclaimed Jack.
The black motor-boat was anch.o.r.ed close in to the sh.o.r.e. Her dinghy lay on the beach, showing that somebody had just landed. Clambering up the steep and rocky sides of the point were three figures. When the boys caught sight of them the trio had just gained the summit of the rocky escarpment.
They crouched behind rocks, as if fearing that they would be seen, and one of them drew from his pocket a pair of field gla.s.ses. He gazed through these down at the settlement of Musky Bay, which lay below. Then he turned to his companions and made some remark and each in turn took up the gla.s.ses.
"What do you make of it?" asked Billy, turning to Jack.
The wireless boy shook his head dubiously.
"I"ll tell you what _I_ make of it," he said. "Just this. Those three figures up yonder are Judson, Donald and Jarrow. They trailed us here in that motor boat but were too foxy to round the point. When they saw us turn into the bay, they knew they could land and sneak over the point without being seen. They are spying on the settlement and watching for Captain Simms. At any rate, they will see his boat tied up there and realize that they have struck a home trail."
"What will we do?" asked Billy, rather helplessly.
"There"s only one thing to do," said Jack with decision, "and that is to turn back and warn Captain Simms of what is going on."
The _Curlew_ was headed about and a few moments later was in sight of Musky Bay again.
CHAPTER XI.
A SWIM WITH A MEMORY.
"So they did find me out, after all?" said Captain Simms grimly, after he had heard the boys" story. "Well, it will not do them much good. I am well armed and the government is at my back. If I get the chance I will deal with those rascals with no uncertain hand."
"Why don"t you have them arrested right now?" asked Noddy.
"Because it would be premature to do so at the present moment. The agents of several nations are keen on getting a copy of the code. If these men were arrested, it would reveal, directly, the whereabouts of the code and its author."
"It seems too bad such rascals can carry on their intrigues without being punished," said Jack.
As it was noon by that time, and the appet.i.tes of all were sharp set, Captain Simms invited the boys to have lunch with him. It was a simple meal, consisting mainly of fish; but the boys did ample justice to it, and finished up with some pie, which the captain had brought from Clayton to replenish his larder.
After dinner the capricious breeze died out entirely. The heat was intense, and the water glittered like a sheet of molten gla.s.s. The boys looked longingly at the bay, however. The idea of a cool swim seemed very attractive just then. Captain Simms had left them to their own devices while he took a nap.
"Tell you what," said Billy, "let"s take a swim, eh, fellows?"