ptain Blastblow.

"I don't know, sir; somewhere about the vessel, I suppose; most likely
asleep in the staterooms," replied the waiter.

"Where do they spend their time when they are below?" continued the
captain, in an easy and indifferent tone.

Gibbs answered the question in a very indefinite manner. The passengers
were mostly in their state-rooms, on the sofa, or sitting in the
chairs.

"Have you noticed them in any particular place in the cabin, except in
their state-rooms, in the chairs, or on the sofas?" I asked, with
considerable energy, for the waiter seemed to be rather stupid and
bewildered, and I thought he needed something to wake him up.

"Yes, sir; I seen them both on the cabin floor this morning," answered
Gibbs, with more life in his tones and manner than I had seen before.

"On the floor!" exclaimed Colonel Shepard. "What were they doing on the
floor?"

"I don't know, sir. I had cleared away the breakfast-dishes, and went
on deck to smoke. I found it a little cool, and I came down again for
my coat," replied Gibbs, talking quite glibly now. "As soon as I came
down stairs, they got up."

"Where were they at the time?" I inquired.

"Right under the companion-way, sir."

"And you could not tell what they were doing on the floor?"

"No, sir; they were crawling out from under the companion-way when I
saw them."

We questioned the steward and the waiter for some time longer, but we
got nothing more out of them. We asked the captain to send them on
deck, and to direct Captain Cayo and Buck Lingley not to allow any
person to communicate with their prisoners.

The companion-way consisted of stairs with steps, but with no risers to
obstruct the light from the stern ports. It was not probable that the
passengers had secreted the bills forming the package in such a place
as this. But we carefully examined every foot of space under the
companion-way. We were about to give up the search in this part of the
cabin, when I felt something under the carpet, beneath the lower step.
I found that a portion of the carpet had been torn up, and I pulled it
over. Reaching it again, I felt the package more distinctly; but I was
disappointed because it seemed to be too small for the one that had
been lost. I drew it out.

"This can't be it," I said. "It is not more than half the size of the
one the messenger laid on the counter in the saloon."

"It ought not to be more than half as large," added the colonel. "I