gination
on Perk's part, but for one thing, he did glimpse a moving light and
could detect a chugging movement such as would accompany the inglorious
flight of the speedboat, racing for some shore harbor.

Silence followed, as though all the human elements in that late wild
tumult had managed to leave the scene of their defeat. Still Jack
continued to swing around in a short circle, showing how even with the
spoils of victory close within their reach he could keep to his standard
maxim of "watch your step!"

Minutes passed, and it went without question that the penetrating gas
must be well swept away by the night wind so that it would be safe for
them to board their prize and take a quick inventory of the illicit
cargo.

Perk knew the time for action had arrived when he felt the plane head
toward the surface of the gulf, as though it was Jack's intention to
drop just back of the sloop's stern when they could taxi alongside and
readily climb to the low deck.

There was nothing surprising about their coming in contact with the
surface of the water--Jack had acquired a habit of making perfect
landings whether ashore or with pontoons. Knowing this, Perk never
looked for anything else.

They came down with hardly any more of a splash than a pelican might
have made and almost instantly Jack started taxiing ahead in the
direction of the nearby anchored sloop.

Perk had set the third tear-bomb down with the belief that there would
be no necessity for his using it. Silence hung about the sloop, and he
had decided there could be no one around, unless, when they clambered
over the side, they should discover some poor chap who had succumbed to
the provoking gas or else been stunned by a blow in the wild melee that
had raged previously.

Just the same wise old Perk did not mean to be caught off his guard and
so he dragged out a formidable looking automatic, supplied by the Secret
Service to all its accredited agents as a means for compelling a
surrender on the part of any "wanted man" when overtaken in his flight.

The head-phones had been disconnected so there was nothing to hinder a
prompt boarding of the captured boat when Jack gave the word. With the
glorious flush of victory thrilling his whole frame Perk stood by to
fend off as they drew close to the squatty stern. It would be his duty
to clamber out on one wing and get aboard, carrying a rope by means of
which the floating airship could be secured to the water craft