on, and it needed
but a single glance from the eyes of the Racer boys to tell them it was
indeed the tall, dark stranger who had acted so oddly after questioning
them about Paul Gale. The man was rowing slowly and awkwardly, as if
unused to the exertion, but as the sea was fairly calm he was not
having a hard time, especially as the dory was built for safety.

"Think he sees us?" asked Andy.

"No, but he'll hear us if you don't talk lower," objected Frank.
"Sounds carry very far over water."

"All right," whispered the younger lad. "Let's see if we can't creep
up on him. If we get near enough we can tell him Paul is much better,
and he may be so surprised that he'll let out some information before
he knows it."

"I haven't much hope of that," replied Frank, "but we'll try it." He
changed the course of the sailboat once more until, it was headed right
for the dory. The man rowing seemed to pay no attention to our heroes.

They were rapidly drawing close to him, and Andy took pains to conceal
himself so that the stranger could not see him until the last moment.
Frank was well screened by the sail.

Suddenly, off to the left, the boys heard a cry:

"Help! Help! They're getting loose! I can't catch 'em! Help! Help!"

"What's that?" demanded Andy in some alarm. "Some one is drowning."

"No, the call came from that lighter over there," declared Frank,
pointing toward one of the clumsy harbor craft used to transport or
"lighter" cargoes from one ship to another, or from dock to dock. The
next moment this was made plain, for the call sounded a second time:

"Help! Help! Sailboat ahoy! Come to the rescue! I'll be bitten to
death! Help!" At the same time the boys saw a man quickly climb up
the stumpy mast of the lighter and cling there with one hand while he
waved his cap at them with the other.

"We've got to go help him!" exclaimed Andy.

"If we do, this strange man will get away," warned his brother.

"That's so. What shall we do?"

They paused, undecided. Following up the man might mean the solution
of the mystery surrounding Paul Gale. On the other hand they could
hardly ignore the call for aid. They could not go to both places, as
the lighter was in one direction and the dory being rowed in another.
Once more came the cry:

"Help! Help! They're all getting out of the cages!"

"What in the world can he be talking about?" demanded the puzzled
Frank, trying to catch a glimpse of the d