Where did the boat seem to come from?" the Inspector asked, looking
straight in the boy's face.

"Well, we couldn't exactly be sure; but Jo seemed to think that she had
come from the slough--that was what set us to thinking she must be a
smuggler."

"Have you told anybody about this?"

"No."

"Don't. How about this Indian boy, this Siwash?"

"He hasn't said a word about it to any one. I made him keep it quiet
till I had told you."

"Sure no one else knows?"

"No one; at least no one but the man in the outer office here."

"What did you tell him for?" the Chief asked, with sudden vexation.

"He wouldn't let me in till I told him what I wanted; he said you were
busy."

At this moment the door opened and a man in uniform entered.

"Ah," he said, glancing at the boy, "he's told you, then. Had we better
put any confidence in the tale? I've been speaking to the Captain of the
_Madrona_ about it. He is in the outer office now. He seems to think
there is something in it."

"You may go now," said the Chief, with a preoccupied look, to the boy;
"you had better go right home, and next time carry a light yourself.
Good-evening."

"I am sorry you let the boy go," the deputy began, as the door closed;
"we may need him for evidence. But here's the Captain."

A tall gentleman, in the uniform of the United States navy, entered the
room at this moment. "I've been having a word with your salmon-fisher,"
he said, "and I think he's telling the truth. I'll catch them to-night
when they're getting back north, and give them more light in Puget Sound
than they will find altogether convenient. Where was it he saw them
now?"

"I don't think the boy said," the deputy answered. "Did he tell you?"
and he turned to his superior.

"Yes, he did, now I recollect."

"Was it in the main channel, or below the slough to the inside of the
island?"

"In the outer channel; it was too large a boat to get through the
slough."

"Why, I thought he said it was a sailing sloop," mused the Captain,
turning to the deputy.

"So did I."

"No; the boy told me distinctly," the Chief replied, "that it was a much
larger vessel, and that she passed him in the outer channel; though
candidly, as to her carrying no light, we must remember that boys
sometimes have wonderful imaginations."

"Then we'll keep the main channel;" and the Captain left the room.

Down among the ships in the harbor a small boat was moored. It had all
the unmistakable sig