friend, Lemly, has nicely calculated the drab boat's
run," declared the young skipper of the "Restless," "Dalton's craft is
in fine position to stop the freighter. But we'll reach the 'Fulton'
first, and by some minutes, too, sir. The drab boat looks like a good
one, but I believe we're a shade faster in the stretch."

"What are we going to do when we overhaul both craft?" wondered Powell
Seaton, aloud.

"Why, sir, it will be easy enough to make the 'Fulton's' captain
refuse to take any such passenger as Dalton."

"How?" demanded Mr. Seaton.

"Just inform the 'Fulton's' captain that Anson Dalton is a fugitive
from justice. If you do that, the freighter's captain isn't going to
take any chances on getting into subsequent trouble with Uncle Sam.
The captain will simply decline to receive him as a passenger on the
high seas."

Powell Seaton looked very cheerful for a moment. Then a look of dark
doubt crossed his face.

"That will be all right, Halstead, unless it happens that the captain
of the 'Fulton' is a man on the inside of some official affairs down
in Brazil. If that be so, then your freighter's captain may recognize
Dalton as a man of consequence--one to be served at all hazards. For,
if a steamship captain of the Langley line must be careful to stand
well with the United States authorities, he must also be no less
careful to keep in the good graces of some of the cliques of Brazilian
officers. So what if Dalton goes aboard the freighter, and her captain
sends us a derisive toot of his whistle?"

Tom Halstead's face showed his instant uneasiness.

"If that turns out to be the case, sir," he whispered, "you've lost
your last chance to stop Anson Dalton. He goes to Brazil with all the
papers for locating the diamond mine, and you and your syndicate
friends lose the whole big game!"

CHAPTER XII

THE SEARCHLIGHT FINDS A "DOUBLE"

Yet, though his confidence in success had received a severe jolt,
Captain Tom reached out for the megaphone.

"Run in straight and close, Hank," he ordered. "I want every possible
second of conversation before that drab boat gets within talking
distance of the 'Fulton.'"

The "Restless" and the freighter were now within a mile of each other,
and almost head-on. The drab boat, about two miles away, had altered
its course so as to pick up the freighter at a more southerly point.

"Run to your table, Joe," commanded the young skipper, "and notify the
'Fulton' that we a