Those on the launch were amazed to think they had been followed so quickly and for the moment knew not what to do. Then Sack Todd drew his pistol.
"Hi, there!" he yelled. "Keep your distance if you know when you are well off!"
"They know us right enough," murmured Tom. "And they mean to fight!"
"Go ahead,—we can't afford to land around here!" said Gasper Pold, to Baxter, who had been running the motor of the launch. And soon the power was turned on and the launch started down the river faster than ever.
"They are running away from us!" ejaculated Dick. "Oh, what luck!"
"Stop!" yelled Sam. "Stop, or we'll fire at you!"
"That's the talk," said Harold Bird.
"If you do any firing, so will we!" came back from one of the persons on the Venus.
Then of a sudden the acetylene gas lamp was either turned off or its rays were hidden, for the launch was almost lost in the darkness of the night.
"They were trying to hide," said Fred. "And it looks as if they would succeed," he added, as the launch seemed to fade utterly from view.
"If we only had that gas lamp,—to keep them in view!" sighed Sam.
