partner, how 'bout that Greek sponger we talked with when we
dropped in at Tarpon Springs t'other day--you kinder s'pected he knew a
heap more about these goin's-on than he wanted us to grab, even if we
was jest s'posed to be Northern tourists, bent on havin' a fishin' spree
later on when big tarpon strike in around Fort Myers--could them
spongers have a hand afetchin' in bottled stuff, or ferryin' Chinks over
from some island halfway point?"

"Some folks seem to think that possible," he was told. "After looking
over the ground, and getting the opinion of a heap of people who ought
to have an intelligent opinion covering the facts known and suspected,
I've come to the conclusion that if ever there was a time when you could
play safe by suspecting everybody you met of having some sort of money
interest in this big game, it's down along the Florida west coast and
like as not over toward Miami just the same. I'm not trusting my secrets
to a living soul, saving a few Government agents to whom I've been
directed by my superiors--and I'm even a bit leery about some of that
bunch."

"Yeah! From this time on seems to me we'd be wise to play a lone hand,
an' not bother about takin' any gyps into our confidence, eh what,
Jack?"

"You never said truer words, my boy," assented the other, smiling as he
noted the look of pleasure flashing across the bronzed face of his pal
at thus having his own opinion confirmed; for Perk valued a few words of
praise from Jack far above any other source.

"Kinder get to thinkin' that Greek sponger--Alexis was his name, if my
memory ain't gimme the bounce--was a bit o' a sharper, an' knew beans in
the bargain from the way them black eyes o' his'n kept watchin' us all
the time we asked questions, just like we'd heard people sayin' queer
things concernin' how easy it was to grab any quantity o' bottled stuff
if on'y you had the ready cash, an' a good eye for winkin'."

"We may know more about Alexis before we're through with this trip," was
all Jack would say concerning the matter. "On my part I'm shaking hands
with myself because we were smart enough to camouflage our ship with
green stuff for that pilot passed over and could have glimpsed our crate
lying half hidden here, and through his glasses--which I understand they
all carry--made out how it didn't match up with any of the aircraft they
use in their business."

"Thanks to you, partner," Perk hastened to confess. "If it all depended
on my