Part 35 (1/2)
”Did he take her to Albany?”
”No. They went West.”
”We do not believe you, Baxter,” said d.i.c.k warmly. ”You are one of the greatest rascals I ever met--not counting your father--and the best thing you can do is to surrender. If you don't you'll have to take the consequences.”
”And we warn you to keep off. If you don't we'll shoot at you,”
was the somewhat surprising response.
”No, no; please don't shoot at them!” came in Dora's voice. ”I beg of you not to shoot!”
She had escaped from Mrs. Goss' custody and now ranged up alongside of Dan Baxter and her other enemies who were handling the _Flyaway_. Her hair was flying wildly over her shoulders and she trembled so she could scarcely stand.
CHAPTER XXI
THE MEETING IN THE BAY
”There is Dora now!” cried d.i.c.k, and his heart leaped into his throat at the sight of his dearest friend.
”d.i.c.k Rover, are you there?” came from the girl in nervous tones.
”Yes, Dora, I am here, with my brothers and a sailor friend.”
”Save me, please!”
”We will!” came from all of the Rover boys in concert.
”Take her below!” roared Baxter angrily, as he turned to Mrs.
Goss, who had followed Dora to the dock. ”Didn't I tell you to keep a close eye on her?”
”She said she wished to speak to you,” answered the woman. ”I thought she wanted to make terms with you.”
Mrs. Goss caught Dora by the wrist and, a.s.sisted by Mumps, carried her below. She struggled and tried to fight them off, and her cries, reaching d.i.c.k, made the youth long to be at her side.
”Let her alone, Baxter!” he cried hotly. ”If you harm her you shall pay dearly for it, remember that!”
”Talk is cheap, d.i.c.k Rover,” came back with a sneer. ”Now keep off, or I'll do as I threatened.”
”You won't dare to fire on us.”
”Won't I? Just come a little closer and you'll see.”
By this time the two yachts were not over a hundred feet apart, the _Searchlight_ to the starboard of her rival. So, far the countless stars had brightened up the bosom of the ocean, but now Martin Harris noted a dark ma.s.s of clouds rolling up from the westward.
”We'll have it pretty dark in a few minutes,” he cautioned. ”If you want to haul up close, better do it at once.”
”All right, run them down,” ordered d.i.c.k, half recklessly. ”I don't care how much their boat is damaged, so long as I save the girl. Mumps ran me down, remember.”