Amid the tamarack-clothed islets the motor-boats
crept in and out in a delightful way. To lie on the cushions in the
cockpit of the _Lauriette_ and bask in the pearly starlight was an
experience the girl from Cheslow was not likely to forget.

To-night, when the _Lauriette_ got away from the moving picture camp,
there were no other boats in sight. Chess dimmed his lights and the craft
crept through the narrow passages between the islands, heading up stream.

"My idea," he said, "is to land at the back of that island--"

"The Kingdom of Pipes?" interrupted Ruth in surprise.

"Yes. Where you say you landed before--twice."

"Oh!"

"That is, if we see nothing or nobody about."

"I don't think we'd better take any great risk--only two of us," observed
Ruth, with her usual caution.

"Of course, we won't walk right into danger."

"I should hope not! And just what are we going for, anyway?" and she
suddenly laughed.

"Why, I'm curious about those fellows," said the young man. "And I
thought you were."

"I'm curious about the King of the Pipes. Charley-Horse Pond, Willie
calls him."

"Queer old boy, I guess," admitted Chess. "But I want to know more about
those chaps who unloaded the boxes."

"What could have been in the boxes? Surely there is no camping party on
that island. At least, no pleasure party."

"I fancy not. If you ask me about the boxes, I am puzzled. Yet, I've a
glimmer of an idea--Are you sure that was a woman with them to-day in
their boat?"

"Wonota called her the yellow lady. And Wonota has good eyes."

"With a yellow face, yes? And we saw a Chinaman in the boat that other
time on the river," said Chess quickly.

"Surely she wasn't a Chinese woman? Yet, she might have been."

"Chinese women aren't usually smuggled over the border, I guess,"
muttered the young fellow. "But Chinese men are."

"Perhaps we should have reported it to the authorities," Ruth suggested.

"Not until we are sure there is really something wrong. I don't want to
be laughed at, you know."

But Ruth just then had considered another phase of the matter.

"Oh!" she cried. "There's Bilby! He was in it!"

"In what?"

"In that boat when we first saw it. When we saw the Chinaman, you know,
out on the Canadian side of the river. If there is anything wrong about
these men--and the King of the Pipes--Bilby is mixed up with them."

"I guess you are right, Ruth. Maybe that fellow is into more queer games
than just trying