get the bilge pump to work, Tom, and I'll try to find
the leak."

"Sure, I'll pump the bilge," assented Tom. "Just look here at the stuff
slopping up through the floor boards," he continued. "It surely looks as
if we'd lost some fuel."

"That's funny," declared Jack. "I wonder how it could have happened. The
pipes were all right when we fitted out and nothing we have done since
could have injured them."

A shout from Harry announced a discovery. He was backing out of the
compartment under the pilot house floor and just forward of the engines.
As he appeared his face was the picture of rage.

"What's it?" queried Tom. "Don't hold your breath that way, you're apt
to choke if you do," he laughed.

"Where is the fellow that opened that drain cock?" shouted Harry shaking
his fist in the air. "Someone deliberately drained our gasoline into the
bilge. I found the drain cock wide open!"

"Nobody opened it," asserted Jack. "We were all in the pilot house since
dinner watching the fog and we couldn't reach the pipe."

"I hate to say it, Jack, but we were not all in the pilot house,"
answered Tom. "Maybe it isn't fair to the chap, but that fellow we
nearly run over doesn't look good to me. I rather suspect him."

"Hush, my lad," Jack warned. "A good Boy Scout doesn't accuse anyone
until he has proof, and we have no proof yet of his guilt."

"All right, Jack," unwillingly replied Tom, "but I can't help feel the
way I feel, can I? He didn't impress me very favorably."

"And then, look at Rowdy!" put in Harry. "He spotted the fellow when he
was still hanging on the cable and he tried to get back into the cabin
all the time to eat up his visitor."

"Well, let's go back and wake him up and see what he knows," suggested
Jack. "Maybe he can put up a good story that will satisfy even you
chaps. I can hardly believe anyone would do a thing like that. He has no
motive for attempting to cripple us like this."

The boys moved with one accord toward the after cabin. The Fortuna
rolled viciously in the trough of the choppy sea, making their footing
extremely unsteady. Jack swung open the door.

Starting back in amazement he bumped into Tom who was following closely.
Harry was at their heels peering over their shoulders.

"Where is he?" gasped Jack wonderingly. "Where did he go?"

"The bird has flown!" declared Tom in a tragic tone.

"Bag and baggage!" asserted Harry.

True enough, not a sign of the stranger remained except