Part 23 (2/2)

It was decided that, due to their isolation and the nature of the country, it would be highly unwise as well as unprofitable to atteo in search of the ruffians To by radio to the government men at the Brownell radio plant that these felloere in the neighborhood, and this commission he duly carried out on his return to his quarters

The boys were of the opinion that they had seen the last of the se, the latter would now make their way to the railroad and return to Brooklyn and Manhattan For that the attack upon thee, they had no doubt It hat Captain Folsoht expect

What was their dis at the boathouse they discovered the door broken open, and the new speed boat, pride of the trio, gone Bob who had hobbled along by the aid of a cane groaned as he stared at the vacant space where the boat had been stowed on their return the night before

”We're out of luck,” he said ”That's all”

”Airplane daed, motor boat stolen,” said Frank ”What next?”

But Jack refused to lament His eyes blazed rath

”This is tooabout this

That's all”

After a consultation, it was decided to call Captain Folsom by radio at the Custom House and apprise hiood luck, Captain Folsom was in the Custom House at the time, on business connected with the disposal of the vast amount of liquor taken from the Brownell house He commiserated with the boys on their hard luck, as well as on their lucky escape the previous night when unexpectedly attacked

He promised to notify the New York police ould keep a lookout for theboth the Brooklyn and Manhattan water fronts

Furtherreed to undertake to notify the police authorities of towns along the Long Island shore between the Telersand abandoned the boat, the boys would be notified where to recover it

In conclusion, he added that the big raid and the arrest of Paddy Ryan and others at the Brownell house had not as yet brought to light the principals in the liquor-s The lesser prisoners, questioned separately, inbothainbotham had not been found, and Ryan refused to talk It was Captain Folsom's opinion, however, that one or more men of wealth and, possibly, of social or financial position, were behind the plot

”You boys have been of such assistance,” he said, ”that I' you this, first, because I know you will be interested, but, secondly, because I want to put you on the lookout You have shown yourselves such sensible, clever fellows that, if you keep your ears open, who knows but what you will stu of importance I believe the man or men behind the plot may live in the 'Millionaire Colony'

down your way”

What Captain Folsoht, and they discussed thethe radio conversation The girls also were keenly interested

”It's so ro was a recognized industry in England, for instance, and bigpositions of respectability and honor connived with the runners of contraband”

”You needn't go that far fro Island colonial history ”There was a tilers made their headquarters and came and went unue with the rascals, and there was at least one governor of the Province of New York who feathered his nest nicely by having an interest in both kinds of ventures”

The boys knew the na Island shore up to Southa speculation as to whether this or that greatplot

”Captain Folsom said,” explained Jack, ”that so much money necessarily was involved in the purchase and move of the Brownell place, the hiring of shi+ps, the employment of many men, and so on, that he was pretty certain the s and not principals And, certainly, the business reat deal offurther from Captain Folsom, nor was any word received that their motor boat had been recovered They came to be of the opinion that it had been either scuttled or abandoned in some lonely spot upon which nobody had stued to elude police vigilance in the harbor of New York That the thieves ht have used it to make their way to sea to a rendezvous where the shi+ps of the liquor-sathered did not occur to theained of the contraband traffic they were not aware as yet of its extent Yet such hat actually had happened, as events were to prove

Meantime, both Mr Temple and Mr Hampton returned to their ho their absence Over their cigars in Mr Hampton's library, the two, alone, looked at each other and s shook their heads

”I had to scold Jack for running his head into trouble,” said Mr

Hae, and to have adventure come and hunt you out”

Mr Temple nodded