Part 43 (1/2)
Professor, what about you?”
”I shall accompany you,” the Professor declared. ”The discomforts of travelling without luggage are nothing compared with the importance of discovering this human fiend.”
”Luggage--pshaw!” Laura exclaimed. ”Who cares about that?”
”And nothing,” Lenora declared firmly, as she caught at Quest's arm, ”would keep me away.”
”I'll telephone to Scotland Yard, in case they care to send a man down,”
Quest decided. ”We must remember, though,” he reminded them, ”that it will very likely be a wild-goose chase.”
”It won't be the first,” Laura observed grimly, ”but Craig's on board that s.h.i.+p all right.”...
They caught a train to Southampton, where they were joined by a man from Scotland Yard. The little party drove as quickly as possible to the docks.
”Where does the _Barton_ start from?” Quest asked the pier-master.
The man pointed a little way down the harbor.
”She's not in dock, sir,” he said. ”She's lying out yonder. You'll barely catch her, I'm afraid,” he added, glancing at the clock.
They hurried to the edge of the quay.
”Look here,” Quest cried, raising his voice, ”I'll give a ten pound note to any one who gets me out to the _Barton_ before she sails.”
The little party were almost thrown into a tug, and in a few minutes they were skimming across the smooth water. Just as they reached the steamer, however, she began to move.
”Run up alongside,” Quest ordered.
”She won't stop, sir,” the Captain of the tug replied doubtfully. ”She is an hour late, as it is.”
”Do as I tell you,” Quest insisted.
They raced along by the side of the great steamer. An officer came to the rail and shouted down to them.
”What do you want?”
”The Captain,” Quest replied.
The Captain came down from the bridge, where he had been conferring with the pilot.
”Keep away from the side there,” he shouted. ”Who are you?”
”We are in search of a desperate criminal whom we believe to be on board your steamer,” Quest explained. ”Please take us on board.”
The Captain shook his head.
”Are you from Scotland Yard?” he asked. ”Have you got your warrant?”