," laughed Joe, turning and going down into
the motor room.

They were not long in making Lonely Island, where the "Restless" was
tied up and the hatchways locked securely. The boys were not required
to remain at the boat, one of the guards being stationed, night or
day, at the wharf.

Powell Seaton was much interested in the account Tom gave him of the
red message, though he did not say much.

There was no change or improvement in the condition of Mr. Clodis, who
still lay in a darkened room, like one dead.

That afternoon Joe, with some help from his comrades, repaired the
bungalow's wireless plant and got in touch with the shore once more.

Through the night four men were kept on guard, one on the porch,
another at the wharf, and two others patrolling the island. No attempt
of any sort on the part of Dalton or the latter's confederates was
discovered.

The next morning brought still no change in the condition of Clodis.
He was alive, breathing feebly, and Dr. Cosgrove was attempting to
ward off an attack of brain fever.

Through the forenoon Joe was kept rather busy sending messages ashore
to the authorities, for Powell Seaton, though not leaving the island,
was waging a determined campaign to get hold of Dalton.

"I don't need Dalton, particularly," confessed Mr. Seaton, as he sat
with the three motor boat boys at the noon meal. "But it would be
worth a very great deal of money to get back the papers that Dalton
must have stolen after assaulting my sick friend, yonder, on board the
'Constant.'"

"Do you--do you know--what was in the stolen papers?" asked Captain
Tom Halstead, hesitatingly.

"Very well, indeed," rejoined their employer, with emphasis. "But the
real trouble is that I don't want to have that knowledge pass to the
gang that are behind Anson Dalton."

"Yet Dalton must have had time to join his principals, or
confederates, by this time, and turn the papers over to them,"
hazarded Halstead.

"That's hardly likely," murmured Powell Seaton, "since the gang of
rascals behind Anson Dalton must be, at this moment, somewhere in the
interior of Brazil."

"Oh!" said Tom, reflectively.

"You're curious, I see, to know what all this great mystery means,"
smiled Mr. Seaton.

"I--I don't want to let myself be curious about what is none of my
business," declared Tom Halstead, bluntly.

"I'm going to tell you the story now, just the same," replied Powell
Seaton, in a still lower voice.

CH