Part 41 (1/2)

”Both!” was the surprising answer. ”You cannot see Senor Ralcanto because he is not here. And I cannot release him, had I the power, for he has released himself. In other words, Senor, he has escaped!”

”Escaped!” cried Jack and Cora in a breath. ”My father escaped!”

murmured Inez. ”Oh, praise ze dear G.o.d for zat! He is free! Oh, but where is he?”

”That I know not, Senorita,” was the stiff answer. ”I wish I did.

We have searched for him, but have not found him. He must have had friends working for him on the outside,” and he glanced with suspicious eyes at our friends.

”Well, we probably would have worked for him, had we had the chance,”

said Mr. Robinson, ”but we had no hand in his escape. May I ask how he got away from your prison?”

”In a boat--about a week ago,” was the grudging reply. ”That is all I can say. He is no longer on Sea Horse Island. I have the honor to bid you good-day!”

”Polite, at any rate,” murmured Jack. ”Bow, what's our next move?”

”To find her father!” exclaimed the British officer, promptly. He had entered into this as enthusiastically as he had into the task of finding the mutineers and smugglers.

”If he got away in a boat,” resumed the lieutenant, ”he would most likely make for some island. There are many such not far from here, but these Spaniards are so back-numbered, they wouldn't think of making a systematic search. That's for us to do.”

”Oh, if we can only find him!” murmured Inez.

”We will--never fear!” cried Jack, with as much enthusiasm as he could muster at short notice.

It was little use to linger longer on Sea Horse Island. No more information concerning the escaped man was available. It must be a ”blind search” from then on. Still, the searchers did not give up hope, and once more the Tartar was under way.

I shall not weary you with the details of the final part of her cruise. Suffice it to say that many islands were called at, and many vessels spoken, with a view to finding out if any of the uninhabited coral specks in that stretch of blue West Indian waters had, of late, showed signs of being inhabited by a lone man. But no helpful clue was obtained.

Still the search was kept up. Mr. Robinson, his wife and Mrs.

Kimball stayed with the young people, having renewed their wardrobes at the first suitable stopping place. Then the search was resumed.

And, curiously enough, it was Inez who discovered the torn rag, floating from a tree, which gave the signal that help was needed at a lonely isle they reached about two weeks after the search began.

”I think some one is zere,” she said to Jack, pointing to the signal.

”It does look so,” he agreed. ”We'll put in there.”

”A hard place to live,” said Lieutenant Walling, as he came on deck and viewed the little Island. ”It is very barren.”

”Do you--do you think it can be my father?” faltered Inez.

”It is possible--it is some poor soul, at all events--or some one has been there,” the officer concluded.

”You mean it may be too late?” asked Cora, softly.

Lieutenant Walling nodded his head in confirmation.

The Tartar anch.o.r.ed off sh.o.r.e, and the small boat went to the beach.