Then pursued and pursuer disappeared in the jungle across the river.
At Gumbo Key the black, scowlike hull carrying the ditching machinery,
moving slowly in tow of a gasoline tug, was seen making headway across
the bay toward the mouth of the river. As the Egret curved gracefully
round the Key and came alongside the tug to place Payne aboard, Annette
came and stood by his side.
"You're not going back with us?" she asked.
"No. It's better that I shouldn't. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, I suppose it is." Her eyes looked out across the bay to the open
sea beyond. "Oh! I wish I weren't going back there; I wish I would
never see that place again."
"Do you mean that?"
"How can you doubt it!"
The Egret had completed her curve and with throttled engines was
creeping smoothly up to the ditching scow's side.
"You don't have to go back," said Payne. "The ditching can wait. I'll
have them moor the ditcher here. You can get aboard the tug and I'll
have them take you to Key West, to Fort Myers, Tampa--any place you
want to go. From there you can go anywhere, as far away as you wish to
go."
"Really?" she cried, "Oh, but that poor little tug--the Egret would
catch her in a mile."
"If you get on that tug I will see that you go wherever you wish to go.
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