She looked at him. Suddenly she whirled around. He, too, heard the _chuff_ of the Essex. "They'll find us," she said. "And if they find you, I don't know what they'll do. Quick, run!" And she darted off herself, only to turn back to scramble for the papers. "But will you give me an answer?" he pressed. She looked frantically up from the papers. "I don't know. You mustn't risk coming back." "I will, no matter what you say." "I can't promise. Please go." "Just one question," he begged. "What are your aunts' names?" "Hani and Hilda," she told him, and then she was gone. The hedge shook where she'd darted through. Jack hesitated, then started for the cove. He thought for a moment of staying on the island, but decided against it. He could probably conceal himself successfully, but whoever found his boat would have him at a disadvantage. Besides, there were things he must try to find out on the mainland. As he entered the oaks, his spine tightened for a moment, as if someone were watching him. He hurried to the rippling cove, wasted no time getting the _Annie O._ underway. With the wind still in the west, he knew it would be a hard sail. He'd need half a dozen tacks to reach the mainland. When he was about a quarter of a mile out from the cove, there was a sharp _smack_ beside him. He jerked around, heard a distant _crack_ and saw a foot-long splinter of fresh wood dangling from the edge of the sloop's cockpit, about a foot from his head. He felt his skin tighten. He was the bull's-eye of a great watery target. All the air between him and the island was tainted with menace. Water splashed a yard from the side. There was another distant _crack_. He lay on his back in the cockpit, steering by the sail, taking advantage of what little cover there was. There were several more _cracks_. After the second, there was a hole in the sail. Finally Jack looked back. The island was more than a mile astern. He anxiously scanned the sea ahead for craft. There were none. Then he settled down to nurse more speed from the sloop and wait for the motorboat. But it didn't come out to follow him. V Same as yesterday, Mrs. Kesserich was sitting on the edge of the couch in the living room, yet from the first Jack was aware of a great change. Something had filled the domestic animal with grief and fury. "Where's Dr. Kesserich?" he asked. "Not here!" "Mrs. Kesserich," he said, dropping down beside her, "you were telling me something yesterday when we were interrupted." She looked at him. "You _have_ found the girl?" she almost shouted. "Yes," Jack was surprised into answering. A look of slyness came into Mrs. Kesserich's bovine face. "Then I'll tell you everything. I can now.