re explanations, and then, as the storm showed signs of
breaking, the rescued girls and their friends set out for Ocean View in
the motor boat. The revenue officers remained in charge of the captured
schooner, and said they would see Will in the morning to complete the
case.

"But what in the world did they want to capture you girls for?" asked
Roy, when they were all safe again in Edgemere. The rain was beating
against the windows, for they arrived just as the downpour began.

"They thought to get the secret of the diamonds," declared Will. "I can
tell you that much. Though how they expected to do it I can't say."

"But were those men who had us--and that horrid old woman--the
smugglers?" asked Amy.

"No, only their tools," Will said. "In brief, the game was this: The box
of diamonds you found was smuggled from France. But before those
interested in bringing them over could make good they received word that
the customs officers in Boston were waiting for them. The government
agents abroad had sent word here to be on the lookout.

"So the smugglers adopted a bold plan. They sent a message in cipher, by
the ship's wireless, when two or three days outside of Boston, to their
confederates, to have a boat waiting for them off this coast. That was
done, and one dark night the smugglers tossed overboard the box with the
diamonds concealed in the false bottom. It was fixed in a cork
arrangement, so it would float. This box was picked up, but before the
confederates could make away with it something happened. There was a
quarrel among the smugglers, I believe, and one gang hurried off and
buried the box here in the sand.

"You girls came along just as that had been done, and though some of the
men wished to come back and take away the booty, others would not permit
this, thinking no chance comer would find it."

"Those were the men we saw leaving in the boat," said Mollie.

"Yes," assented Will.

"And we did find the diamonds!" cried Grace.

"Yes, and that made all the trouble--for the smugglers," went on Will.
"Of course they soon learned that the box was gone, and they guessed you
girls had taken it. Then they tried to get it back."

"Those men in the cellar?" asked Betty.

"Were part of the gang," declared Will. "And I learned that they found
the diamonds were in the cellar because a tramp hanging around for food
overheard us taking about them. He wasn't in with the smugglers then,
but later he joined them, giv