undred thousand, it would all be the same, and Dalton, out on bail,
could flee in whatever direction he wanted to."

"Then what _are_ you going to do?" demanded Captain Tom, incisively.

In this instant of utter uncertainty a tinkling of a bell broke in
upon them. It was the call bell that Dawson had attached to the
wireless apparatus.

"Remember, _you_ keep quiet," almost whispered Joe to Hank, then
quitted the room hastily. Butts suddenly began to grin sheepishly.
Rising, he sauntered over to a window.

Joe had hurried to the wireless room on the mere chance that it might
be a message for Lonely Island. It was much more likely to be the
regular business of ships passing on the sea. But as he entered the
room Dawson heard the clicking call from a receiving instrument:

"CBA! CBA!" That was Lonely Island's call surely enough.

Breaking in at the key, Joe sent the sparks chasing each other up the
aerials. Having answered, he slipped on the head-band, fitting the
watch-case receivers over his ears. Picking up a pencil, he wrote.

It was a rush telegram from Mr. Seaton's lawyer, up at Beaufort, and
it read:

Man much resembles description of Dalton has just been
reported embarking on seventy-foot cruising motor boat
ten miles above this city. Man in command of boat
positively said to be Captain Dave Lemly.

"Remain at wire for further talk," Joe's trembling fingers signaled
back. Then, leaping up, he bounded into the next room.

"Read it to me," Powell Seaton begged.

Tom Halstead took the sheet, reading rapidly yet clearly. The young
skipper was excited, though he forced himself to remain cool.

"There's your call to action, Mr. Seaton," he wound up with.

"Yes, but what action?" demanded the owner of the bungalow. Ever since
the discovery of the loss of the papers this man had seemed all but
unable to speak.

"We've got to overhaul that other motor boat, though her length will
have to be description enough if we can't get a better one," declared
the young skipper. "Hank, go down and open up the motor room. Start
the motors going, though be gentle. Don't break anything, or put the
motors out of business. Joe, go back to the wireless, and see whether
you can get a more exact description of that boat--especially the
course she is believed to have sailed on. Hustle! Mr. Seaton, hadn't
you better inform Dr. Cosgrove that you'll be absent for a while?"

The owner of the bungalow moved as though glad o