rk boat floating as idly as a piece
of wreckage. Its hold was filled with bags of grain, on which squatted
and lay many dark figures scarcely to be distinguished from the bags.

No whisper marked its passage; not a pipe-bowl glowed. On the little
steering platform stood Simon Grampierre wielding a long sweep run
through a ring astern. The ring was muffled with strips of cloth.

Simon kept the craft straight in the current, and as they approached
the Company buildings, gradually edged her ashore.

The dark steamboat lay with her nose drawn up on a point of stones
below the flagstaff. Steamboat and point together caused a little
backwater to form beyond, of which Simon was informed.

All he had to do was to urge the nose of his boat into it, and she
grounded of herself at the spot where they had chosen to land; that is
immediately below the mills.

A dozen moccasined men let themselves softly into the water, and
putting their backs under the prow lifted her up a little on the
stones. Instantly, as if by the starting of a piece of machinery a
chain of bags was started ashore from hand to hand.

Ambrose and Tole, who was to be engineer, climbed the bank to
reconnoiter. So far no word had been spoken.

Above, along the edge of the bank, were three small buildings in a
line, close together. That in the middle was the engine house, with
the sawmill on the left and the flour mill on the right.

Ambrose and Tole made for the engine which was housed in a little
structure of corrugated iron. The door faced the sawmill. It was an
iron sliding door, fastened with hasp and padlock.

Ambrose inserted the point of a crowbar under the hasp, and the whole
thing came away with a single metallic report. If any sleeper was
awakened by the sound, hearing no other sounds, he probably fell asleep
again. Anyhow no alarm was raised as yet.

Tole went back to get assistance in carrying slabs into the engine
room. The sawmill was merely an open shed, and there was an abundance
of fuel in sight.

The water supply, being furnished by gravity from a tank overhead, was
secure.

With the aid of his electric torch, Ambrose found the belt to run the
flour mill in a corner of the engine room. So far so good. His
instructions to Tole were simple.

"I'll let you have one man to help you. If they besiege us, I won't be
able to communicate with you. Whatever happens, keep the engine going.
Store enough slabs in here to keep her