“Yes, she must be among the West Indies long before we can hope to overtake her—­there, or at some South American port.”

“Then you have learnt for certain that she has gone that way, Major?”

“It is not quite certain, but I have no doubt about it.  Her papers say that she is bound for the Cape, which is quite enough to show me that she is not going there.  I think it is the West Indies rather than South America, for if she went to any Brazilian port, or Monte Video, or Buenos Ayres, she would be much more likely to attract attention than she would in the West Indies, where there are scores of islands and places where she could cruise, or lie hidden as long as she liked.

“Yes, I have no doubt that is her destination.  It is a nasty place to have to search, but sooner or later we ought to be able to find her.  Fortunately the negroes pretty nearly all speak English, Spanish, or French, and we shall have no difficulty in getting information wherever there is any information to be had.”

Four days later the Osprey anchored off Funchal.  The dinghy at once put off with six water casks, and Frank was rowed ashore in the gig, and had a talk with his correspondent.  The latter, however, could give him no more information than had been contained in his letter, except that the white streak had been painted out, and that the craft carried fourteen hands, all of whom were foreigners.  He could give no information as to whether she would be likely to touch at either the Canaries or the Cape de Verde Islands, but was inclined to think that she would not.

“They took a very large stock of water on board,” he said, “and a much larger amount of meat, vegetables and fruit than they would have required had they intended to put in there, and meat is a good deal dearer here than it would be at Saint Vincent, or even Teneriffe.  I should think from this that they had no intention of putting in there, though they might touch at Saint Helena or Ascension, if they are really on their way to the Cape.

“But after what you tell me, I should think that your idea that they have made for the West.  Indies is the correct one.  I should say that they were likely to lie up in some quiet and sheltered spot there, for it is the hurricane season now, and no one would be cruising about among the islands if he could help it.  There are scores of places where he could lie in shelter and no one be any the wiser, except, perhaps, negro villagers on the shore.”

“Yes, I should think that is what he would do,” Frank agreed.  “How long does the hurricane season last?”

“The worst time is between the middle of September and the middle of November, but you cannot depend upon settled weather until the new year begins.”

“Well, hurricane or no hurricane, I shall set out on the search as soon as I get over there.”

Two hours later the Osprey was again on her way.  The breeze was fresh and steady, and with her square sail set and her mizzen furled she ran along at over nine knots an hour.  One day succeeded another, without there being the least occasion to make any shift in the canvas, and it was not until they were within a day’s sail of Porto Rico that the wind dropped almost suddenly.  Purvis at once ran below.