ht one is----"

"To the right. We'll follow that. If they think to fool us, or make us
divide our forces, they're going to be disappointed. Another thing."

"What's that, Blake?" asked Joe, as he noticed his chum leaning over and
carefully examining the marks in the dirt.

"Why, naturally they wouldn't go to the left, as that eventually leads
to the lighthouse. They want to keep some distance from that. Of course
they'd go to the right. And here's where we go after 'em. Come on!"

There was no hesitation now. Joe was as sure as his chum that the
wreckers had gone farther down the coast, perhaps to some other high
cliff where they could set up their lantern.

They followed the path. The trail was plain now, showing that a number
of men had passed along. Footprints were the only clues, however, a
number overlapping one another.

"What shall we do if we find them?" asked Joe.

"I--I don't know," answered Blake. This was when they had been following
the new trail for about an hour.

"We can't tackle 'em alone, that's sure," went on Joe.

"No, but we can--Hark! What's that?" whispered Blake, suddenly.

They listened intently. Far off they could hear the roar of the surf on
the beach; but, closer at hand, was another sound. It was the clink of
metal. And then came the distant murmur of men's voices.

"Joe, I think we've found them," whispered Blake. "Come on, but don't
make any noise."

Cautiously they crept forward, the sounds becoming more and more plain.

Suddenly they heard a loud voice exclaim:

"There! I guess that will do the business! And those fellows won't find
us here!"

"That's them!" whispered Blake in Joe's ear. "I know the voice of Hemp
Danforth. We've found 'em, Joe!"

CHAPTER XXI

THE CAPTURE

Impulsively the boys clasped hands as they realized what the discovery
meant. They had come upon the new hiding place of the wreckers, and the
chances were good for capture if no alarm was given.

Joe, perhaps, felt more elated than did Blake, though the latter was
glad that his theory in regard to the direction taken by the men had
proved correct.

But Joe felt that now he had a better chance to prove his father
innocent of the charge made against him--that he was involved with the
wreckers.

"We've got 'em!" he whispered.

"Yes--we've got 'em--to get!" agreed Blake. "No slip-up this time."

In whispers they consulted, and decided to creep forward a short
distance to make sure of t