d. The fishing fleet from Diablo had just
arrived, loaded with albacore. The captains reported a rough trip all
the way over. They had seen or heard nothing from Gregory since leaving
Cavalan. McCoy paced up and down the dock while he superintended the
unloading of the fish. What a haul they had made! But what good would it
do them? The whole plant would be tied up in less than an hour.

He jerked out his watch and looked at it again. It was seven minutes
after three. Walking to the bay-side, he shaded his eyes with his hand
and gazed anxiously in the direction of the inlet. Granting that Gregory
arrived within the next half-hour, what could he possibly accomplish in
so short a time? All McCoy's efforts to confer with Rock had been
fruitless. The bank president could not be located and had left but one
word.

He would be at the cannery at four o'clock.

* * * * *

The low-lying clouds which hung about the entrance to Crescent Bay
rifted sullenly and exposed the ragged line of rocks which made up the
jetty.

"Right on the dot," Dickie Lang exclaimed. "I was afraid maybe I was
too far down. What time is it now?"

"Three-thirty," Gregory answered. "We ought to dock in ten minutes."

"We'll be there in five unless I run into something going down the
harbor."

"Stop at the municipal dock first," Gregory instructed her. "I'm going
to run ashore and try to get a bond. Then we'll go on to the cannery."

Hawkins roused himself from his lethargy as they sped down the bay.

"I can help you some," he announced. "I can go on your bond. I own at
least three times the amount of the claim in real estate in this county.
That will save us some time. We can get a blank form from a notary and
have him fill it out. Then all we've got to do is to find the judge."

"Doesn't Rock have to put up a bond, too?" Gregory asked. "He's trying
his best to damage me. Haven't I any come-back?"

"Don't bank on Rock's bond," Hawkins answered. "He has to put one up,
but it's pretty liable to be 'straw.' Fellows like him generally have a
strangle-hold on a little place like this and they are pretty sure of
their ground before they shoot. The chances are Rock's in the clear with
a 'dummy' or else his property is all under cover. I'm going to make it
my business to look the old fellow up and see how he's fixed. Men like
him don't do anything without a motive. I'm going to try to find out
what Rock is up to."

At