had got into his head. They
were completely in the dark, and there they remained until they picked
up the jolly-boat and her crew, and midshipman Richardson, drenched in
body and exceedingly uncomfortable in mind, came aft to report the
failure of his attempt to capture the incendiary. He told his story in a
few words, adding a piece of information that increased Harry's
astonishment, and made him believe, with Johnny Harding, that wonders
would never cease.

"I saw Mr. Newcombe's night watchman on the wharf as I was coming back,
sir," said Richardson, "and from him I learned that Mr. Henry's safe has
been blown open and robbed of seven thousand dollars. It was done by two
strangers--professional burglars undoubtedly--and they were afterward
joined by Sam Barton and his band of rascals, who carried off a quantity
of provisions."

"Where was the watchman, that he did not give the alarm?" asked Harry.

"The robbers knocked him down, and bound and gagged him, before they
went into the store," replied the midshipman. "They also made a prisoner
of Johnny Harding, one of them holding a revolver to his head while the
other tied him. But the funny part of the story is, that the governor is
to receive a thousand dollars for taking the robbers to sea. Sam and Tom
still have Crusoe's island on the brain, according to my way of
thinking, and are starting off to hunt it up."

The first lieutenant was now satisfied of this fact himself. He
dismissed the midshipman after listening to his story, and turned to
consult with Jackson. "I wish that Tom had taken some other vessel,"
said he, after they had talked the matter over, "the Sweepstakes runs
like lightning, and if she was in charge of a sailor, I should never
expect to see her. My only hope is that Newcombe will commit some
blunder. If he does, we've got him. He can't escape, for all the tugs in
the harbor will be after him as soon as they can raise steam; but I wish
it might be our good fortune to capture him, alone and unaided. If we
catch the whole band we'll recover the money, you know. Instruct the
officer of the deck to have a bright lookout kept for the Sweepstakes."

Scarcely had this order been issued, when one of the lookouts, who had
learned the particulars of the fight from the boat's crew, came aft to
report that a schooner, which looked very much like the Sweepstakes, was
standing across the bay toward the head of the island. The officer of
the deck went forward