Titty saw more of what happened than any of the others, and she really saw very little. The Amazon went about once more, and sailed round the southern end of the island. Titty watched her until the trees at that end of the island hid her. John saw her only for a moment as she passed across the opening in the rocks outside the harbour. Then he could not see her any more. Then he heard voices not far away but dared not move for fear of showing himself. Presently he heard the voices further away, near the landing-place. He hurried back through the trees to help Susan. But Susan had seen them as they passed, for a moment only, through the trees. They had not stopped at all. Sailing fast, with the wind with them, they had run through between the island and the mainland, and were already north of the island, sailing straight on towards Houseboat Bay and Darien. Susan and John hurried together to the lookout point, where Roger, his legs kicking with excitement, was lying in the heather watching the Amazon growing smaller and smaller.
“They hauled down the flag almost as soon as they were clear of the island,” he said.
“Then they must have hoisted it only because they saw us,” said John.
Titty joined them.
“If they were pirates,” she said, “why did the pirate on the houseboat fire at them?”
“Perhaps he didn’t,” said Susan. “Watch if they run into Houseboat Bay again.”
“They haven’t got a cannon,” said Roger, “and he has, a beauty. I know it was the pirate on the houseboat who fired.”
The Amazon did not run into Houseboat Bay. The little boat, with her white sail well out, held on her course, leaving a long line of wake astern of her, as straight as if it had been laid off with a ruler.