Likely enough they had the mainsail already up and the chain short, and directly the boat was up at the davits they would have got up the anchor and been off.

They may be twenty miles away by this time; though whether east or west one has no means of even guessing.

The wind is nearly due north, and they may have gone either way, or have made for Cherbourg or Havre.

It depends partly upon her size.

If she is a small craft, they can't get far beyond that range.