Part 26 (1/2)
The fighting was practically over. That in which our two heroes had taken part had been going on near the water front. The two brothers rushed forward, followed by Mr. Kennedy.
”Those lads have grit!” he exclaimed.
Bernardo, seeing that he was completely beaten, called to his men to follow him. He turned and shook his fist at his pursuers, but he had no more shots left in either his rifle or revolver, nor did any of his men.
”We'll get him!” panted Frank. ”We'll get him and make him prove Uncle Phil's innocence!”
The chase grew hotter. It was along the water front, and out among the small piers.
CHAPTER XXIII-OVERBOARD
”Come on now, we have them!” cried Frank.
”Surrender there! Give up! Stop!” shouted Ned. ”Halt, Senor Bernardo!”
But the Portuguese revolutionist and his rebel rascals kept on. Frank brought his rifle to his shoulder and exclaimed:
”Halt, or I'll fire!”
Whether he actually would or not, he never stopped to consider. Shooting at a man in the open that way, when the heat of battle has pa.s.sed, is a hard matter. Frank could not decide what to do. But the aimed gun had no effect, and a second later, with shouts of exultation, Bernardo and his men leaped from a small pier into a power boat, which was cast off and set in motion at once.
”They've beaten us!” gasped Ned. ”They've gotten away!”
”Oh for a boat!” cried Frank. ”If we had one-even our _Ellen_-we might catch them!”
”But we haven't,” said Ned, sadly, as he saw the powerful craft, containing the escaping revolutionists, speeding out into the bay. The cutters and motor boats of the wars.h.i.+p were some distance away, some of them having been taken back to the _Georgetown_.
One of the men who was among the last to leap into the boat after Bernardo, carried a large tin box. He seemed to be very careful of it.
”Probably it contains what cash they have left,” said Frank.
”Yes, and perhaps papers that might serve to free Uncle Phil,” added his brother. ”Oh, Frank, we simply must get those fellows!”
”What's the trouble?” asked Mr. Kennedy, who came running up at that moment. He was rather stout, and had been winded by the pursuit. ”Where are Bernardo and his rascals?” he asked.
”There they go,” replied Frank, pointing to the motor boat, now well away from sh.o.r.e.
”And one of them has a tin box full of money with him,” added Ned.
”Not much money left among the revolutionists,” was the comment of the coffee man. ”Besides, if there is, you can be sure Bernardo has it safely put away somewhere. He wouldn't take any chances carrying it with him in that fas.h.i.+on.”
”But there was something of value in the box,” Frank insisted.
”Papers and doc.u.ments, most likely,” said Mr. Kennedy. ”Those fellows don't want to leave behind anything incriminating. They aren't any fonder of going to prison than the next man.”
”If that tin box contains papers some of them might prove our uncle's innocence,” ventured Frank.
”By Jove! So they might!” cried the coffee merchant. ”I never thought of that. Bernardo is just the sort of rascal, too, to do away with the proof.”