“Oh, I don’t give it up yet, my boy! All we can do is to make our way to the town, procure a tug-boat, and give chase to the schooner. I think we have taken away all the firearms there were on board of her, and with such officers as we can procure in Southfield, where I am somewhat acquainted, we may yet be able to arrest the villain, and save your mother from further persecution. I feel that I am somewhat to blame for the accident which has happened to us, and I pledge you all my time, and all my fortune, which is nothing near as large as yours, to follow this Scoble all over the world if necessary, till we have him behind the iron bars,” continued Captain Ringgold with a heartiness that made Louis his friend for life. “Whatever fortune I have is nothing compared with the safety and happiness of my mother, and I would spend every dollar of it, if my trustee will allow me to do so, to redeem her from the power and possession of John Scoble,” said Louis earnestly. His million and a half, as that was the amount of it in round numbers, seemed like a bagatelle to him at the present moment, for he could neither pay it out nor pledge it to procure the return of his mother to her new home at the Park. But the captain did not despair of being able to accomplish something in the pursuit of the villain who had again brought grief and shame to those it had once been his duty to protect. “It is certainly the time for action, as you say, Captain Ringgold; but what shall we do? What can we do?” he demanded. “That is the question to be immediately settled,” replied the captain, looking about him as if to obtain further information that would assist him in taking some action. “This creek is too wide to be crossed without a boat; and there seems not to be even a punt about here.” “What good would it do to cross the creek, if we could do so?” asked Louis. “Perhaps none. If we could get over to the hill that shelters the vessel from the gale, we should still be too far from the Maud even to shoot those on board of her; and we could not get on board of her without a boat. It is no use to look in that direction,” was the captain’s conclusion. “The only thing we can do is to make our way over to Southfield; and I hope we shall find a tug-boat there, though it is by no means certain. It is plain enough to me now that Frinks knew more about this bay than he pretended, for he made sure to land us this side of the creek so that we could not get near the Maud again. He has managed his case very well.” “That light was not exhibited on the Maud when we left her,” suggested Louis. “It was not; but the mate is expected to come back, and the light is hoisted to enable him to make the quickest time on his return. I have no doubt Captain Scoble will put to sea the moment he is on board. I dare say the reefed sails are set, and the anchor hove short by this time.”