respectively, of
discharging the duties of a sailing master and an engineer.

Whenever Storri visited New York, Inspector Val was never far to find;
now and then he sent for Steamboat Dan to hear how the plans of Storri
moved. Steamboat Dan failed not to respond; for he was stricken of a
wholesome fear of Inspector Val. And well he might be. There was that
prison cell in Joliet all vacant for his coming; and he must protect the
shady peace of the Albion House near James Slip. Altogether, there was
no help for it; Steamboat Dan must yield to his destiny of stool pigeon
or pay the penalty in stripes. Wherefore he appeared faithfully when
called, and told Inspector Val of Storri's preparations. The _Zulu
Queen_, rich in stores, her bunkers choked with coal, waited only to be
fired up; those men who were to sail her had been secured; her papers
and her captain's papers as well as those of her engineer were ready.
The one thing now was Storri's signal; and with that all hands would go
aboard, get up steam, and point the sable cutwater of the _Zulu Queen_
for Washington.

Steamboat Dan informed Inspector Val of nothing which the thief-taker's
sagacity or vigilance had not anticipated. But Inspector Val clung to
the safe theory that, whether for his facts or deductions, he could not
have too much confirmatory proof; wherefore he was prone to put
Steamboat Dan to frequent question. One day, however, the stool pigeon
gave Inspector Val a surprising piece of information. It related to a
talk which he had had with Storri the evening before.

"It was at the heel of the hunt like," explained Steamboat Dan, "an'
just as he's about to go, he ups an' makes it known that he's goin' to
need a benziner--need a firebug."

"And of course you promised to find one," said Inspector Val.

"I had him ready; one of the gang is Benzine Bob, an' you know as well
as I do that when it comes to touchin' a match to a crib, an' then
collectin' the insurance, there's nobody nearer bein' the goods than
Benzine Bob."

"Yes, I regard Bob as a most gifted incendiary," said Inspector Val.

"Sure; he could teach it. But what do you figger this Russian's goin' to
burn?"

"We'll learn in good time. You must have Bob agree to everything this
party asks."

"No trouble on that score; settin' fire to things is Benzine Bob's
religion. He says his prayers to an oiled rag, and a box of matches is
his Bible."

Storri, taking dark and stormy nights for the