started out to make inquiries on their own account, taking with them
a hanger on at the hotel who spoke English.

"The barge's name was the Julie," he said; "she has a cargo on board for
Rotterdam."

"I think the best thing would be to take a carriage, and drive there at
once," Dick said.

"You can do that, sir, but I don't think you will be there before the
barge; they have something like eighteen hours' start for you, and the
wind has been all the time in the east. I should say that they would be
there by eight o'clock this morning."

"No, I don't know that it would be of any use, but at least it would be
doing something. I suppose we could be there in four hours?"

"From that to five; but even if the barge were delayed, and you got
there first, which is very unlikely, I do not think that there would be
the remotest chance of finding those villains on board. I reckon they
would, as we agreed, launch the body overboard even before they got
under way here, and they may either have landed again before the craft
got under way, pretending that they had changed their minds, and then
walked across to The Hague or to Haarlem, or have gone on with the barge
for two hours, or even until daybreak. If by that time they were near
Rotterdam, they may have stayed on board till they got there; if not,
they may have landed, and finished the journey on foot, but they would
certainly not have stopped on board after six or seven o'clock this
morning. They would calculate that possibly we might get on their track
at an early hour this morning, and set out in pursuit at once.

"However, it will doubtless be a satisfaction to you to be moving,
and at least you will be able to overhaul the barge when you get to
Rotterdam, and to hear what the boatmen say. The chances are they will
not even have noticed that one of the men who came on board was missing.
The men may very well have made up a long bundle, carried it on shore
with them, or three of them may have carried a fourth ashore; and in the
dark the bargemen were unlikely to have noticed that the number was less
than when they came on board. However, it will be something for you to
find out when and where the fellows landed."

"Yes; I should certainly like to lay hands on them, though I am afraid
we should find it very hard to prove that they had anything to do with
this affair."

"I think that also, Mr. Chetwynd. Morally, we may feel absolutely
certain; but, unless the boatmen no