said they would."

While the search went on the radio spluttered spasmodically. Finding
nothing of value on the persons of his captives, Billings bared the arms
of the two men and scrutinized the flesh intently in the yellow
lamplight.

"Snowbirds," he announced. "One of them's punctured up one side and down
the other. Other's not so bad. Good business I'd say for them to get
hold of a couple of fellows like these. They're about the only ones they
could get to stick in a God-forsaken hole like this and keep their
mouths shut."

He rose as he spoke and began to move slowly about the room.

"Tell the Mexican to keep a good lookout outside," he instructed
Hawkins. "Then you and your friend can help me go through the shack."

Gregory assisted mechanically in the search but with little interest.
The sooner they were through the sooner they would go down to the cove
where the _Gray Ghost_ lay at anchor. Then he would find Mascola. A
muttered exclamation from Hawkins caused him to look up quickly.

The newspaperman was handing Billings a cigar-shaped capsule half filled
with a coarse white powder.

"What's this, Jack?" he asked. "Looks like sugar. Found it in the
grub-locker."

Billings poured the contents of the capsule into the palm of his hand.
For a moment he scrutinized it intently. "That's the stuff we're looking
for," he said quietly. "Though I never saw it in a package like that
before."

Slade held up a hand for silence and pulled his head-set closer about
his ears. For a moment his attention was held by the instrument. Then
his hand again sought the key. When the sputtering of the radio had died
away he announced:

"Got the _Bennington_. She's about a mile off the goose-neck. They're
going to land in the next cove. The _Gray Ghost's_ at anchor now off the
isthmus cove. Mascola's speed-boat passed them in the fog about an hour
ago. He's lying in somewhere farther down."

He rose as he spoke and began to wreck the radio set.

"Tie those fellows up good, Jack," he instructed Billings. "We don't
want to be bothered with them down below. We've got to be on our way.
The boys will be there by the time we get down the hill. What's that
you've got there?"

Billings extended the capsule and Slade examined it curiously.

"Queer package," he said. "But it's the straight dope."

Hawkins' eyes shone with excitement as he crowded closer to Slade. "What
is it, Tom?" he asked.

"Heroin," answered Slade quickly. "