of mine. We were on the lookout for this lot of brandy,
and we took it off Captain Chinks's hands, so that he won't have any
trouble in getting rid of it."

"Is that so? Who's the other man?"

"We don't call names in this business, you know," answered the
detective, mysteriously. "But I can't see what you wanted to land the
stuff in that place for. You would have been trapped if you had; for
there is a sharp detective over at Camden, looking out for cases of this
sort."

"Sho! Who is he?"

"His name's Hines."

"Hines? I never heard on him before."

"He's sharp."

Bobtail had to look overboard to keep from laughing.

"Ketch a weasel asleep!" grinned Ben. "Me'n my uncle's sharp enough to
whittle skewers with him. When he ketches Cap'n Chinks, he'll ketch a
weasel asleep, you bet! It was the cap'n's notion to land the stuff on
that island, and take it over, a little at a time, when we went out
fishing. We run the boat aground on a beach. You see, I found a hole in
the rocks--a kind of cave--that would hold the hull lot on't. We could
kiver up the mouth of the hole with rocks, so't no one'd ever think
anything was in it. The boat was on so hard we couldn't stir her, and we
went up to take a look at the hole. While we were gone, the tide riz,
and the wind blowed the boat off. The cap'n did some tall swearin' about
that time, you'd better believe; but it didn't do no good. The boat was
gone, and we couldn't git her. It was just dark, and I cal'lated the
wind would drive her on the rocks, and smash her all to pieces. It was
lucky Bob picked her up, for she might 'a been found by some feller
who'd made mischief out of that stuff in the cabin."

Bobtail had to tell the story of the picking up of the Skylark.

"She must have drifted up the bay, and then down, for the tide turned
not long after we lost her," said Ben. "We walked up to Islesboro', but
we didn't dare to say a word. The cap'n went over to Camden in the
packet, and I came down here. I took our boat here, and with a man to
help me, cruised all round Deer Island and Vinal Haven, to see if I
could find the Skylark; but I couldn't hear nothin' on her."

"What did the captain give for this boat?" asked Mr. Hines.

"Five hundred dollars."

"Didn't pay for her--did he?"

"Yes, he did; cash down. The man he bought her of 's up at one of the
hotels now."

"Is he?"

"Yes, he is;" and Ben described the house.

"If he has any more such boats to sell, I shou