g, the "Restless" was under way, poking her nose
in a north-easterly direction.

"We'd better loaf later on, rather than now, Joe," proposed the young
skipper. "See how much speed you can crowd out of the motors."

Powell Seaton chose to go aft, all alone, dropping into one of the
deck arm-chairs. For a long time he remained there, moody and silent.

"What liner do you figure on Dalton trying to overtake and board?"
queried Joe, coming up at last out of the motor room.

"Why, I don't just know," confessed Tom, pondering. "But I'll tell you
what you can do, Joe. Leave Hank to watch the motors. You go to the
wireless apparatus and send out the longest spark you can get. Direct
your call to any vessel bound for Rio Janerio, or Brazil in general.
If you get an answer from such a craft, ask her latitude and
longitude, course and speed, so we can make for her directly."

As Joe nodded, then dropped down into the motor room, intending to go
by the passageway under the bridge deck, Tom noted a lurking figure a
few feet behind him.

"Hullo! What are you doing there, Jasper?" queried the young captain.

"Jest mindin' my own business," replied the man, with a half-surly
grin.

"I'm minding mine, in asking you," retorted Halstead, quietly. "I
don't like passengers so close to me when I'm handling the boat."

"I s'pose mebbe you don't," rejoined Jasper, yet making no move.

"Won't you take a hint?" asked Tom, rather bluntly.

"Where d'ye want me to stand?" asked the fellow, sulkily.

"You could go further aft, for instance," replied Tom. One hand on
the wheel, he stood half-turned, eying this stubborn guard.

"Oh, all right," came gruffly from Jasper, as he started slowly aft.

"Maybe I'm wrong for thinking much about it," muttered Tom, under his
breath, "yet it was this same man who was so close to us the other
night when Mr. Seaton and I were talking about the papers hidden in
the closet at the bungalow."

Two or three minutes later a slight sound caused the young skipper to
turn with a start. He saw Jasper in the very act of fitting a
wire-nipper to one of the parallel wires of the aerial of the
wireless.

In an instant Captain Tom Halstead jammed his wheel and locked it.
Then he dashed at the fellow.

CHAPTER XI

THE DRAB BOAT SHOWS HER NOSE

"You keep off!" snarled Jasper, drawing back on the defensive, holding
the wire-nippers so as to use them in defending himself.

But, if the young captain o