"What's the trouble?" demanded Lord Hastings, approaching a group of sailors, who stood at the rail, firing into the water.
"It's that traitor. Hardy, sir," he replied.
"Hardy!" exclaimed Lord Hastings. "What about him?"
"But I ordered him put in irons and carefully guarded."
"I don't know, sir; but he freed himself of his shackles in some manner. There he goes now, sir, in the motor. You can just make him out."
"How is it that you did not recapture him before he could get away?" demanded his lordship.
"Well, he came upon us all of a sudden like, sir. He knocked two men down before we knew what had happened. Then he put the boat over the side and jumped in. I took a shot at him, as he jumped, but missed. He must have started the engine the moment he struck the boat, for he was moving in a jiffy. We all ran to the rail, and fired several shots at him, but it doesn't look like we hit him."
"Why can't I take the other boat and go after him?" he demanded. "I am sure I can overhaul him before he has gone very far. And, when I do--well, I'll bring him back, all right."
"All right," he finally said. "Take five men with you, and hustle."
"Not much," said Jack. "You have had all the glory. It's time for me to get into this game."
In almost less time than it takes to tell it, the second launch had been lowered and, with Jack at the steering wheel, was off in the darkness after the traitor. The powerful searchlight on the little boat lighted up the sea for a long distance ahead, and at least a mile away Jack could make out the craft in which Hardy was heading for the Danish coast.
"Well," said Jack to himself, "it's up to me to catch him, and I won't come back till I do."
Lord Hastings had told him that the _Sylph_ would remain where she was until he returned.
Under Jack's orders the launch was leaping ahead at full speed, and after an hour it became apparent that the pursuers were gaining slightly.
"At this rate," said Jack to himself, "we won't overhaul him before daylight. But we shall keep after him as fast as we can."
And keep after him they did; but their efforts to catch the traitor were doomed to disappointment, the two launches were so nearly matched.
The night now grew blacker, as it always does just before dawn, and now the headlight on the pursuing launch, besides showing Jack the escaping fugitive, also showed him the outline of the coast less than half a mile ahead of the fugitive.