n I should have said, young man," admitted Mrs.
Barnard.

"Mamma, wouldn't it be better to address this officer by his title?"
asked the elder of the girls. Then, turning to Eph, the same speaker
inquired:

"May I ask your title? Are you a captain?"

"Only an ensign, miss," Eph replied, "and only an acting ensign at that."

While this brief conversation had been going on, the cook, stewards and
watch below were being routed out. Now Captain Walford came aft to
report:

"All hands on board, sir, have been turned out for your inspection."

"All?" insisted Eph.

"All, sir."

"Then, Captain Walford, I am going to do something that may appear very
extreme, but I regret to say that I can't help it. I must search this
craft. If I allowed one for whom we are seeking to slip through our
fingers it would bring a lot of blame down about my head."

Eph now stepped back to the rail, ordering six of the sailors on board.
To them he gave his orders. The party spread, going below. Eph,
excusing himself to the ladies, went with the sailors.

No more thorough search could have been made. Every nook and cranny of
the schooner was searched, but at last Eph was obliged to admit that
the man he sought was not aboard.

"My apologies to everyone for all trouble caused," declared Ensign
Somers. "I trust you will find it easy to believe that I have only been
following my orders; and, therefore, doing my duty."

"You couldn't have done less, Ensign," replied Dr. Barnard, courteously.
"You couldn't have been more courteous."

"Are we at liberty to proceed on our way, sir?" asked Captain Walford,
as the young acting ensign went over the side.

"I shall have to ask you to take the signal for that from the 'Sudbury,'"
Eph answered.

On the gunboat's quarter deck, following Ensign Somers's report, there
was an anxious conference.

"If this is the craft we've been following all the time," muttered
Jack Benson, "we've a lot of hunting yet ahead of us."

"Shall I signal the schooner permission to proceed, sir?" asked Ensign
Fullerton.

"By all means."

Darkness came down over the ocean while Lieutenant Jack was sending a
wireless despatch through the air to the Navy Department.

CHAPTER XV

"THE RIGHT BOAT AND THE RIGHT CREW!"

Three hours later, under a new order from Washington, the gunboat's
launch stole in alongside of a second schooner that had been pursued,
overhauled and brought to a standstill.

Th