The papers were eagerly scanned; it was awful. The Mirror had four photos of the big race, an especially good one of the finish, in which the faces of all the runners were distinct, and an excellent one of Tubby leading off his little prize. There was a picture of the house, 'Hell Castle', as the writer dubbed it, and snapshots of Maudie, Madame Rade, and several other individuals. The groups taken before the race began included nearly everyone.
There were no names, but at the bottom of the page was an appeal to the public to come forward and identify the characters.
'Oh Lord,' gasped the general, 'this means a long cruise for us.'
'We're very heavily victualed,' said Maudie. 'I vote we make for the islands in the Pacific.'
Accordingly, a course was set. But before they had made the Horn, one dark night a large vessel overhauled them and signaled them to stop.
'Full steam ahead,' said Charlie, 'we've got the heels of anything but a destroyer.'
But the strange vessel seemed to steam two to their one, and the message came, 'Stop or we sink you.'
A moment later a shell screamed overhead, followed by two more placed neatly to port and starboard.
After a hurried council they gave up. The strange vessel came close alongside, and dropped a launch. In a few moments several elegant young men and a young girl dressed as a middy were on deck.
'What does this mean?' spluttered Tubby.
'Piracy, my dear sir, piracy-simple, unabashed piracy. Why, it's Tubby. Well, Tubby, we can't even spare our friends in this business. Fork out.'
Charlie came forward.
'Look here, St Ed-'
'No names, please,' snapped the young man.
'Well, I don't know what your game is, but look here, old chap, we're fugitives from justice too, and if you collar all we've got, God knows what'll happen to us.'
'Tell me,' he said.
For answer Charlie took him into the chart-room and showed him the papers.
The young man was deeply interested.
'That alters the circumstances altogether,' he said, 'and it's a dashed good job for you you ran against me. I've got an island no one in the world bar ourselves knows of: we could do with some more congenial inhabitants. It's obvious you can't go back to England, so you come with me. I'll send you a couple of steersmen on board to give you your course. You pop over and have dinner with me, and we'll talk things over. You know who I am, and why I left England. We're all in the same boat over there, all gentlemen. You'll have good time.'
Well, it was arranged, to the immense relief of the passengers of the Lesbia, and the two yachts set off in company, southward bound.
And now, sweet readers, if you want to know any more about Maudie and her friends, you must look for the forthcoming volume, Pleasure-Bound.
Au revoir.
