ink we could stand twenty-four hours in that barrel?" Hilliard
questioned.

"Of course we could stand it. We've got to. Come on, Hilliard, it's the
only way."

It did not require much persuasion to get Hilliard to fall in with the
proposal, and they untied their painter and pulled silently away from
the wharf. The tide had turned, and soon they relaxed their efforts and
let the boat drift gently downstream. The first faint light appeared in
the eastern sky as they floated past Hassle, and for an hour afterwards
they lay in the bottom of the boat, smoking peacefully and entranced by
the gorgeous pageant of the coming day.

Not wishing to reach Hull too early, they rowed inshore and, landing
in a little bay, lay down in the lush grass and slept for three or four
hours. Then re-embarking, they pulled and drifted on until, between
seven and eight o'clock, they reached the wharf at which they had hired
their boat. An hour later they were back at their hotel, recuperating
from the fatigues of the night with the help of cold baths and a
substantial breakfast.

CHAPTER 8. THE UNLOADING OF THE "GIRONDIN"

After breakfast Hilliard disappeared. He went out ostensibly to post
a letter, but it was not until nearly three o'clock that he turned up
again.

"Sorry, old man," he greeted Merriman, "but when I was going to the post
office this morning an idea struck me, and it took me longer to follow
up than I anticipated. I'll tell you. I suppose you realize that life in
that barrel won't be very happy for the victim?"

"It'll be damnable," Merriman agreed succinctly, "but we needn't worry
about that; we're in for it."

"Oh, quite," Hilliard returned. "But just for that reason we don't want
more of it than is necessary. We could easily bury ourselves twenty-four
hours too soon."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that we mustn't go back to the wharf until the night before the
Girondin arrives."

"Don't see how we can be sure of that."

"Nor did I till I posted my letter. Then I got my idea. It seemed worth
following up, so I went round the shipping offices until I found a file
of Lloyd's List. As you know it's a daily paper which gives the arrivals
and departures of all ships at the world's ports. My notion was that if
we could make a list of the Girondin's Ferriby arrivals and departures,
say, during the last three months, and if we found she ran her trip
regularly, we could forecast when she would be next due. Follow me?"

"