“I don’t think that he would rely on that, Hawkins.  Now that he knows who we are, he will guess that we shall stick at nothing.  What I am afraid of is that he will lower a boat and row Miss Greendale and her maid ashore.  He might do it either there, or, what would be much more likely, row ashore to some quiet place during the night, take his friend and two or three of his men with him, and leave the rest to sail her to Port au Prince.”

“I don’t think that the wind is going to hold,” the skipper said, looking astern.  “I reckon that it will drop, as it generally does, at sunset.  It is not blowing so hard now as it did just before we wore round.”

In half an hour, indeed, it fell so light that the Osprey was standing through the water only at three and a half knots an hour.  The light wind suited the Phantom, with her great sail spread.  She had now increased her lead to a mile and a half, and was evidently leaving them fast.

“There is only one thing to be done, George.  We must board them in boats.”

“I am ready, Major; but it will be a rather risky business.”

Frank looked at him in surprise.

“I don’t mean for us, sir,” George said, with a smile, “but for Miss Greendale.  You may be sure that those fellows will fight hard, and as we come up behind we shall get it hot.  Now, sir, if anything happens to you, you must remember that the Osprey will be as good as useless towards helping her.  You as her owner might be able to justify what we are doing, but if you were gone there would be no one to take the lead.  Carthew would only have to sail into Port au Prince and denounce us as pirates.  I hear from the pilot that these niggers have got some armed ships, and they might sink us as soon as we came into the harbour, and then there would be an end to any chance of Miss Greendale getting her liberty.”

“That is true enough, George, but I think that it must be risked.  Now that he knows we are here, he has nothing to do but to send her ashore under the charge of his friend and two or three of the sailors, and take her up into the hills.  Or he might go with her himself, which is perhaps more likely.  Then when we came up with her at Port au Prince the skipper would simply deny that there had ever been any ladies on board, and would swear that he had only carried out two gentlemen passengers, as his papers would show, and might declare that he had landed them at Porto Rico.  Of course, they are certain to fight now, for they can do so without risk, as they can swear that they took us for a pirate.

“How many do you think that the gig will carry, Hawkins?”

“Well, sir, you might put nine in her.  You brought ten off at Southampton; but if you remember, it put her very low in the water, and we should run a good deal heavier than your party then.”

“Yes, I think that we had better take only nine.  If we overload her she will row so heavily that we shall be a long time overhauling them.”