as they walked back to the house, and
for the remainder of the journey neither had much to say, leaving it
to the girls to carry the burden of conversation.

Arrived at the house, they found Jack with Captain Folsom. The latter
was introduced to the girls, whom he had not met on his arrival the
night previous.

"I've come to say good-bye," he explained to Bob and Frank. "I have
to go back to the city, and Hampton is going to motor me to the
railway. I can't thank you fellows enough for your part in this
affair. If it hadn't been for your perspicacity, in the first place,
we might not have gotten wind of what was going on. And the way you
all fought and acted on your own initiative time and again when we
were in trouble was fine, indeed."

"You've got to come down again, Captain," said big Bob, on whom the
other had made a favorable impression.

"I'd be delighted to do so, sometime," Captain Folsom replied.

"By the way, Captain," interposed Frank, "keep us posted, will you, on
how this affair turns out? Let us know if Higginbotham is located."

"I'll do that," the other promised. "Well, good-bye."

And bowing to the girls, he crossed the lawn to Jack's side and the
two swung down the drive to where Jack had left the car parked by the
side of the main road at the gate.

On Jack's return, he informed his chums that the liquor at the
Brownell place had been removed to the Nark, the captives placed
aboard, and that then Lieutenant Summers had steamed away, leaving a
detail of men on guard at the house and the radio plant to round up
any of the smugglers who, thinking the place deserted, might straggle
back.

"He gave me a bit of advice to be passed on to you fellows," Jack
added, out of hearing of the girls. "That was, to go about armed for a
time, and to be on guard."

"Why?" asked Bob, in surprise.

"Well," Jack replied, "he said some of those fellows who escaped into
the woods undoubtedly would have it in for us for having spoiled their
plans, and that it was barely possible they might have learned where
we live and might try to waylay us. He pointed out the men were a
desperate lot, and that some of them were Italians who are notoriously
revengeful."

"Huh," grunted Bob, contemptuously.

Frank, however, showed anxiety.

"That's all right, Bob," he commented. "But Captain Folsom wouldn't
have given Jack that warning if there were no grounds for it. Look
here, Jack," he added, "Uncle George won't be hom