Meanwhile, where was the second launch and crew? Even going at full speed, it was plainly evident to all on board that there was little prospect of overtaking the Sybil.

When the party had returned to the bank of the stream after an unsuccessful search of the little woods, it had not needed the wave of Shirley’s hand from the Sybil to tell them what had happened. It was Dick who spoke first.

“They have doubled back on their tracks and captured the girls and the launch,” he exclaimed when he noticed Shirley and Mabel were nowhere to be seen.

The others cried out in alarm. In the distance they could see the launch speeding down the stream. It was at that moment Shirley rose and waved to them. Leonard’s keen eyes caught the signal, and he cried out:

“Into the other launch quick and after them!”

Hastily jumping aboard, the second launch was put into motion and they gave chase at full speed.

But the Sybil gained steadily.

“It’s no use,” said Jenkins. “We can’t catch them. As I told you, the Sybil can outrun anything in these parts.”

“We’ll keep after them anyhow,” said Dick. “You never can tell what will happen. They may meet with an accident.”

And so the five continued their apparently hopeless pursuit. An hour later, Leonard, who stood in the extreme bow of the launch, straining his eyes ahead, exclaimed aloud. The others looked at him eagerly, and he pointed straight ahead.

“There’s the Sybil,” he cried. “She’s run ashore. They must have landed.”

A few minutes later the launch ran up alongside the Sybil and all jumped out.

“If we only knew which way they went,” said Leonard.

Dick had been looking at the ground carefully. In the soft mud there was not a single footprint. Dick looked at the engine of the Sybil. It was still running.

“They didn’t land here,” he said quietly.

“What?” exclaimed Leonard.

“I say, they didn’t land here.”

“How do you make that out?”

“Well, if they had landed here there would certainly be footprints. They couldn’t have walked through this soft mud without leaving tracks.”

“The lad is right,” murmured Jenkins.

“Then how do you account for the launch being here?” asked one of the policemen.

“Easily,” said Dick. “They started the engine and let her go. See, the engine is still running, and if she had not been caught in this bunch of weeds she would still be going down stream.”

“You are right,” Leonard agreed. “And there is no telling how far back they deserted her. What shall we do?”

“First,” said Jenkins, “we’ll reoccupy the Sybil and leave the other launch here.”

“After which,” said Dick, “we’ll turn back, and go slowly, keeping as close to shore as possible. We may be able to find where they landed.”

This plan was adopted. Jenkins turned the Sybil’s head upstream once more, and they started off slowly, keeping close in-shore.

For half an hour they moved along, and then Dick’s keen eyes caught sight of a piece of white fluttering from a bush fifty feet ahead. He looked at it steadily for a few moments, and then gave a start.

“Run in here,” he commanded Jenkins.

The latter did as he was told. Dick leaped lightly ashore and approached the fluttering piece of white, which he now saw was a handkerchief. He picked it up and returned to the boat.

“Do you recognize this?” he asked, passing it to Leonard.

Leonard glanced at it carefully. In one corner were two small initials.

“M.A.,” he read. “Mabel Ashton,” he exclaimed. “How do you suppose that got there?”

“It’s plain enough,” said Dick simply. “She dropped it there in the hopes that we might find it, and so learn where they had landed.”

“Then,” said Leonard, “there should be footprints.”

“Not here,” said Dick. “You will notice that the ground is very rocky. Evidently that is the reason Jones selected this spot to land.”

“By Jove!” said Leonard.

Dick spoke again. “They must have gone this way. We might as well get out and look around a bit.”

Accordingly all stepped ashore.

“Now,” said Dick, “I would suggest that we all spread out, keeping about a hundred yards apart, and go straight ahead.”

Leonard, who had been scrutinizing the ground carefully, uttered an exclamation. The others hurried to him.

“A path!” exclaimed Leonard. “They probably went this way.”

“We’ll see where the path leads at any rate,” said Dick. “Nevertheless I suggest that we spread out just the same. They may not have stuck to the path.”

This plan was acted upon, and the five spread on either side of the path. Leonard took the path, while on his right were the two officers, each a hundred yards apart, and on his left Jenkins and Dick, also the same distance apart.

They started forward.

For half an hour they walked on, and gradually the woods became more dense, making progress difficult. Suddenly it began to grow dark.

Leonard glanced at his watch.

“Great Scott!” he exclaimed. “It’s after six. I had no idea it was so late.”

He gave a shrill whistle, a prearranged signal, and the others came toward him.

“We must try and do something before dark,” he explained. “We don’t want to stay here all night, and we can’t give up the chase until we have found the girls.”

“We shall have to go more swiftly, then,” said Dick. “Back to your places, men.”

All spread out again, and the advance continued.

Suddenly Leonard spied something white in the path ahead of him. He stooped and picked it up. It was a second handkerchief. Leonard looked for some mark of identification. In a corner he found the initials “S.W.”

“We are on the right track,” he muttered to himself.

And then he stopped still.

Two shrill whistles split the air.

A moment more and the others gathered around him.

“What’s the matter?” they asked.

Dick, the last to appear, came up at that moment.

“I’ve found them,” he whispered.

“Where?” demanded the others.

“There is a little shack a short distance ahead,” Dick explained. “I could see smoke coming from the chimney. I feel sure that Jones, thinking he has given us the slip, has ordered a halt.”

“Well,” said Leonard, “what are we going to do about it? We can’t stand here all night.”

“The thing to do,” said Jenkins, “is to surround the place, and then close in on them. There are only two of them.”

“You’ll find there will only be one when it comes to a fight,” said Dick grimly. “My uncle Briggs won’t take a hand.”

“So much the better,” said Leonard. “Then we have only Jones to contend with.”

“Right,” said Dick, “and Jones is for me to handle.”

Leonard looked at him peculiarly.

“Oh, all right,” he said. “If that’s the way you feel about it I won’t interfere unless you have need of me.”

“I won’t have any need of you,” was the reply. “But come, let’s get busy.”

It was quite dark now, but the stars already twinkled and there was promise of bright moonlight. The five made their way forward stealthily.

Ten minutes later they came within sight of the shanty, and they stopped for a moment. Suddenly Dick pointed straight ahead.

“Look,” he whispered.

The others gazed in the direction he pointed. There, lying upon the ground, they recognized the figures of Jones, Briggs and Jimmy.

“Guess they have let the girls sleep in the house,” said Leonard. “Now is a good time to advance. The men are asleep.”

Cautiously they advanced again, and then, when they were perhaps twenty yards from the sleepers, Jones suddenly sat up and looked around.

His eyes fell upon the cautiously-approaching figures, and he jumped to his feet with an exclamation of dismay, and turned to run. But Dick was too quick for him.

Dashing forward at top speed, he hurled himself forward and caught Jones by the legs. Jones came to the ground with a crash.

He was up in a moment, however, and grappling with his assailant. But this time Dick was prepared for him, and with solid ground under his feet, he was more than a match for the older man.

Backward and forward, backward and forward they swayed, each trying to gain a hold by which he might throw the other. And Dick got his first.

Exerting his utmost strength, he heaved as hard as he could, and Jones, large though he was, went crashing to the ground, where he lay still.

In falling his head had come in contact with a sharp stone, and he was temporarily stunned.

In the meantime, the others had subdued Briggs, and then had stopped to watch the struggle between Jones and Dick. That over, Leonard stooped and unbound and ungagged Jimmy, and then turned toward the shanty.

“Might as well let the girls out,” he said.

He knocked upon the door. There was no response and he knocked again. Still no response.

Leonard burst the door in with a single kick of his foot and stepped over the threshold. Then he started back in amazement and uttered a low cry.

“What’s the matter?” demanded Dick, approaching and peering over his shoulder.

“Matter!” repeated Leonard. “Matter enough! The girls are not here!”