see the two men who had this room?" demanded the youth.

"I did not."

"They robbed me and ran away."

"Saints preserve us! Robbed ye? Of phat?"

"Of everything I had. Sure you didn't see 'em?"

"Not since this marnin'."

"Well, they must have just gone out," said Dick, and ran down the
stairs and to the office. Here he found the place deserted, the clerk
having gone down to the dining room for his supper, and nobody else
being on duty. The clerk listened to his story with small interest and
shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't see what I can do," he said. "We ain't responsible for our
guests. You had better go and see the police. I hope you catch them,
for such rascals give hotels bad reputations."

"Do you know the men at all?"

"No, never set eyes on 'em until a couple of days ago. Then they came
in, hired that room, and came and went to suit themselves. One was
named Brown and the other Smith--at least that's the names on the
register."

"Those were fake names. Then you won't help me to catch them?"

"I don't see what I can do," answered the clerk, calmly. "We are not to
blame for this, you can see that for yourself."

Dick could see, and after a few words more, he left the hotel, feeling
very depressed in spirits. He spent an hour in looking up and down the
Bowery for Cuffer and Shelley, but without success. Then, as it was
getting late, he returned to the hotel at which he and the rest of his
family were putting up.

CHAPTER XI

ABOARD THE STEAM YACHT

Mr. Rover, as well as Tom and Sam, had come in, and all were anxious to
hear what Dick might have to report. They were filled with amazement at
the story of the robbery.

"I thought I'd wait about telling the police until I had heard what you
had to say," said Dick, to his father.

"I am afraid in a big city like New York it won't do much good to tell
the police," answered Anderson Rover. "However, we can report it
to-morrow. But I think Cuffer and Shelley will keep in the shade until
they see Sid Merrick and have a chance to get away," and in this
surmise Mr. Rover was correct. The matter was reported to the police,
and that was the end of it, so far as the authorities went, for they
failed to apprehend the evildoers.

Mr. Rover was much worried when he learned that Merrick had fallen in
with a captain of a tramp vessel who was ready to go on a hunt for the
treasure. And he was still more worried when Dick told him of the
letters which h