se for the night, but he hasn't been yet to
replace them.'

'My word, sir!' burst out White, 'there's one man never turned up to
work this morning--Luke Raper. Can he have had anything to do with it?'

'Is everyone else here?' asked the inspector.

'Everyone,' returned White.

'Then I'll send one of my men after Raper at once,' said the
police-officer.

'Very good,' remarked Mr. Elliott; 'and while Raper is being looked up,
we'll go on the next step of our investigations.'

He had already ordered a boat to be got ready at a stage near at hand,
and thither went the two partners, Chippy, and Inspector Bird. The
manager was left at the warehouse to see that everyone employed about
it stayed there until the police had finished their inquiries. The
boat was rowed by a couple of watermen, and as soon as the party of
four had taken their seats it was pulled down the river and up the
creek to the spot where the derelict old barquentine lay.

The first man on the _Three Spires_ was Mr. James Elliott. He
scrambled down the companion, and raised a loud cry of surprise and
pleasure. 'Here they are!' he called out. 'Here are the missing
bales! Slynn was right in every particular.'

He was soon joined by the others, and again the senior partner indulged
in his long, low whistle when he saw the missing goods neatly piled in
a dry corner.

'As clever a hiding-place as ever I heard of!' cried Inspector Bird.
'No one would ever think of overhauling this old hulk. But there's
your stuff, sir, all right.'

The senior partner dropped his hand on Chippy's shoulder. 'Slynn,' he
said, 'you are a brave, clever lad. I'll admit now that I could
scarcely believe your story, but I am sure that you have spoken the
truth in every particular. My brother and I are not only grateful to
you for this recovery of our property, but you have done a service to
every honest man about the warehouse. It ought not to be difficult now
to trace the thief and remove all suspicion from straightforward men.'

'A very good piece of work indeed, No. 1,' chimed in the instructor;
then he turned to his brother. 'Well, Richard,' he said in quiet
triumph, 'this is one up to the boy scouts, I think.'

'It is, Jim,' returned the senior partner; 'there's no mistake about
that. A movement which trains youngsters to be cool and level-headed
in this fashion ought to be supported.'

At this moment Inspector Bird, who had been searching the vessel
gen