Slowly, slowly, the Sparrowhawk floated away from the bank and they continued toward the tunnel.

Slowly, slowly, with a policeman on their tail …

Molly sighted Albert Skinner about a mile short of the tunnel.

“Right, my girl,” she told herself firmly. “You can do this.”

It was going to hurt, but she knew she had to do it. For Ben and Lotti and the mad, sweet dog who nearly drowned, but also for children everywhere who should be free to have adventures without their parents. And for her own sake too, she realized with a chill, because what on earth would her mum say if the copper caught up with the Sparrowhawk and found baby Philip on board?

What on earth would her mum do?

Molly clenched her teeth, tightened her hold on the handlebars and pedalled as hard as she could toward the oncoming policeman.

WHOOSH! CLANG! CRASH!

For about a second and a half, as Molly sailed through the air over her bicycle, Albert Skinner’s bicycle and Albert Skinner himself, it was almost fun.

Then—well, yes. It did hurt.

Molly’s tears didn’t stop Albert Skinner’s pursuit, but they improved the fugitives’ lead. By the time he had regained his own composure, calmed Molly and checked both himself and his bicycle for damage, the tunnel had swallowed the Sparrowhawk completely.

Albert Skinner, as the plotters had hoped, cycled on toward Anfield Lock.

Chapter Fourteen

The Sparrowhawk hunkered in the gloom. Ben had cut the engine and he and Lotti lay on their backs on the cabin roof with their feet braced against the tunnel ceiling, to stop the Sparrowhawk from drifting. At either end of the tunnel, they could just make out half moons of daylight, but in the middle where they were, the darkness was almost absolute. Their hearts were beating fast, and their breathing came out loud and ragged.

“What if another boat comes?” whispered Ben.

“It can pass us,” said Lotti, but she wasn’t sure this was true. It was hard to tell in the dark, but the canal looked awfully narrow.

“What if it passes Skinner after it’s seen us?” hissed Ben. “What if he asks the crew if they’ve seen the Sparrowhawk?”

“We just have to hope that won’t happen,” whispered Lotti.

Then they were quiet and in the quiet and the dark, thoughts came: of what would happen after Albert Skinner found them, of Hubert Netherbury’s anger and the loss of the Sparrowhawk and the dogs …

“Is the baby all right?” whispered Ben, to chase away his fears.

“He’s fine. The dogs are looking after him.”