wo miles beyond the point at about nine o'clock
to-morrow morning," the captain called to him, as Nat left. "That's
the time I'll pass, and as close in as I can run."

"I'll be there waiting for you," promised Nat.

"Good luck!" called the pilot. "I hope you get him. That Bumstead is
getting to be as slippery as an eel."

"I'll get him, if he's there," declared the lad.

Then he hurried to the railroad station to get his ticket, for it was
after ten o'clock, and the depot was some distance from the water
front.

CHAPTER XXIII

BUMSTEAD ESCAPES

When Nat found himself in the train, speeding toward Cove Point, he
had a chance to think how he should proceed after he arrived. He
anticipated no difficulty in getting a policeman to go to the boat and
arrest the mate.

"Maybe Sam Shaw will want to take a hand, and fight me," thought Nat.
"Well, if he does, I'll give him all that's coming to him."

The train was a slow one, and made a number of stops. When about half
way on the journey there was a delay, caused by the wreck of a freight
train, and it was nearly three o'clock when Nat arrived at the
railroad station in Cove Point. This was a small town, depending for
its existence on what traffic passed up and down the lake, and what
little patronage came to it over the railroad.

"Where's the police station?" asked Nat of a sleepy man at the depot.

"They don't allow tramps to sleep in it any more," was the rather
queer answer.

"Tramps? Who asked anything about tramps?" replied Nat. "I don't want
to sleep there."

"Oh, excuse me," said the agent, opening his sleepy eyes a bit wider.
"I didn't take a good look at you. I thought you were a tramp. Lots of
'em come in on our trains, and want to spend the night at the police
station. They'd let themselves be arrested because the sheriff used to
get so much a prisoner. But the county authorities put a stop to it.
What's the matter? Some one rob you?"

"No," replied Nat, determined to keep his affairs to himself.

"Some crime been committed?" persisted the agent, for he thought it
was rather unusual for a boy to be asking his way to the police
station at three o'clock in the morning.

"I want to see a policeman," replied Nat, "and I thought the best
place would be the station house."

"There used to be a policeman stationed here nights," went on the
agent. "But he's gone now. If it was anything about the railroad I
could attend to it for you."

"No, t