k more about
the missing money. There'll be a hundred things come up that we'll want
to ask you about."

"It's very kind of you," responded Ross warmly, "and I'd like nothing
better. But just now I'm looking for my mother to come down from her
home in Canada. She may be here any time now, and I want to be on hand
when she comes. She's going to stay for several weeks. But the very
first chance I get, I'll come over to the Shoals."

"All right," said Lester. "The latch string hangs outside the door, and
we'll be glad to see you."

"How's the engine?" asked Bill.

"Right as can be, as far as I can see," was the answer. "I'll have to
dry it and polish it. There wasn't anything serious the matter with it
yesterday--just a little trouble with the ignition--and I was just
getting it into shape, when that big wave came aboard and took me over."

"We'll stand by anyway for a few minutes to make sure," said Lester, as
he rose to return to the _Ariel_.

"Don't wait another minute," urged Ross earnestly. "You fellows have
done enough for me already, and I know you're just aching to get home to
relieve your father's mind."

"We'll cast off anyway," was the reply. "It'll take a little time to run
up the sheet and get ready to sail, and by that time you'll know better
how things are."

"What do you call your boat, Ross?" asked Teddy, as the rest of the boys
rose to follow Lester.

"I've named her the _Sleuth_," answered Ross.

"It's a mighty suitable name, considering what you're using her for,"
laughed Teddy. "Let's hope she'll be sleuth enough to get on the trail
of the smugglers."

"She will," said Ross with decision; and a look of determination leaped
into his eyes, while his lips compressed themselves into a straight
line.

His chums drew in the fenders and ran up the sail, while Lester took his
place at the tiller and eased the _Ariel_ off, until a space of
twenty feet separated the two boats.

"We'll run a few rings around you, while you get the engine to working,"
called out Lester.

"All right, if you insist upon it," laughed Ross. "That's easy enough to
do now, but some day we'll have a race, and then it may be a little
tougher job.

"Here it comes now!" he exclaimed a moment later, as the engine gave a
few preliminary barks.

The sparking was fitful at first, but it soon settled down into a smooth
steady buzz.

"Listen to that music," cried Ross jubilantly. "Richard is himself
again!"

He started