d!"

"Tough luck. Brad came in at the usual time and Douglas was waiting
for him. They went over that ship from stem to stern and didn't turn
up a single thing."

Rick realized that it was dark outside. Mother had let them sleep
right through dinner.

"But the crates in the marsh," he exclaimed. "How about those?"

"Gone," Duke said. "There wasn't a thing but flattened reeds and muddy
water."

Scotty had been holding his ear close to the phone. "Brad must have
jettisoned his cargo," he said. "We didn't think he would."

Duke heard him. "Was that Scotty? Well, Rick, if the pictures prove
out, we'll know he must have thrown the stuff overboard. Captain
Douglas has faith in you. He says not to be discouraged."

"Thanks," Rick said hollowly.

"Oh, one other item of news. I talked with the agent who rented the
Creek House to the Kelsos. They've given him notice that they're
moving out next Saturday. What do you think about that?"

Rick's shoulders slumped. "Unless they try to pull something between
now and then, we're sunk. Duke, do you realize this may have been
their last load? We might have scared them off with flying over Brad
and then having the police raid them."

"I'm afraid so, too. But Captain Douglas says they seemed pretty smug.
They may try it again. By the way, Jerry says the film will be ready
at five tomorrow night. I'll send him into New York early tomorrow and
he can do a few errands for me, then pick up the film on his way
home."

"Thanks, Duke," Rick said. He replaced the receiver and looked at
Scotty. "Did you get all that?"

Scotty nodded silently.

Mrs. Brant called from downstairs. "I saved dinner for you, boys. Want
to come get it now?"

"Right away," Rick called. "Thanks, Mom."

He and Scotty slipped robes over their pajamas and walked slowly down
the stairs. Neither of them felt much like eating after the phone
call. They had, with undue optimism, written the case off as
practically closed. But now everything seemed as far from a solution
as ever.

CHAPTER XVIII

Brendan's Marsh

Rick stared out the window at the gathering dusk. "I'd like to know
what's taking Jerry so long with those pictures," he grumbled. "He
should have been here an hour ago."

Scotty had been trying to read a book. He gave it up as a bad job and
joined Rick at the window. "Maybe he stopped for dinner," he said.

"I'll put ground glass in his cake next time he comes to dinner if he
has," Rick