“A nasty crack, but nothing dangerous,” replied Inspector Burton. “But where in the world did you boys drop from? Ensign Warwick thought you lost or captured.”
“And where is Robbins? I thought it was he attacking, and that’s why we left the stockade,” supplemented the naval officer.
Briefly as possible, Jack recounted their adventures, interrupted frequently by expressions of approval and warm commendation from Ensign Warwick and Inspector Burton. The boys wanted to know what had happened to the other two parties, but Ensign Warwick said:
“That story will have to wait. Meantime, if we hurry we can get to the landing almost as soon as ‘Black George.’ Leave the boat tied up and come with us. You can make better time.”
CHAPTER XXVII—BLACK GEORGE CAPTURED -----------------------------------
Murphy and the captured Chinese were bound and put aboard the boat. But first Robbins was apprised. “Black George” had not appeared yet. No time was wasted detaching the aerial. It was abandoned. Then one of the sailors, who had been shot in the fleshy part of the right leg and thus could not maintain the rapid pace of the party, was put at the oars with instructions to follow down stream until he reached the landing.
With that the others set out at a trot. All were young and active, even Inspector Burton being still in his thirties and in excellent physical condition. They were unencumbered with baggage of any sort.
Ensign Warwick in the lead set a killing pace. Jack, Bob and Frank, however, thanks to their training in long-distance running at Harrington Hall, were enabled to keep up without difficulty. Inspector Burton surprised them all by sticking close.
“I’ve always been a bit of a runner,” he explained during one three-minute halt for the recovery of breath.
So hard did Ensign Warwick push forward that in half an hour they neared the mouth of the canyon where it broadened out into the little landlocked harbor. A halt was called. Not a shot had been heard yet.
“Those Chinese we routed,” whispered Ensign Warwick, “would give the alarm that we are behind them if they caught up with ‘Black George.’”
“Perhaps they took to the hills,” suggested Jack. Inspector Burton nodded.
“It might easily be that they had a stomachful of fighting,” he said. “They might have decided to save their own skins and let ‘Black George’ shift for himself.”