table Cooke took the note and the money. Dock wrote the direction
for the letter on a piece of paper. He thrust the whole into his
pocket. He had his doubts, as well he might, about the propriety of
mailing the letter.

Levi, from the information obtained, was satisfied that the Caribbee
was at anchor in one of the secluded inlets below New York, waiting for
Dock to join her. It was not likely that she would go to sea without
her owner, whose family were on board of her.

"Dock says she will go to Australia, whether he joins her or not," said
Mr. Gayles.

"She will not sail till those on board have heard from Dock. We must
take care that he does not send any letter or message," added Levi.

"Perhaps it would be better to let him do so, if we could only stop the
letter at the post office."

"But we don't know who has charge of the vessel. It is plain that he
has a captain on board of her; but he does not sign his name to the
letter we found upon Dock," interposed Mr. Watson.

"Don't let him send any letters," persisted Levi. "Then the Caribbee
will stay where she is till we find her."

"That is the better way," replied Mr. Watson.

"Perhaps it is," said Mr. Gayles. "But it would do no harm to ask the
postmaster to stop any letter to Mat Mogmore, for instance."

"Mat Mogmore did not take that vessel round to New York," added Levi.
"There is a bigger man than he on board of her, and we don't know his
name. We can't do anything in this way, unless we stop all the letters
directed to the vicinity of New York."

"Doesn't this man's name appear in any of Dock's papers?"

"No; I have looked in vain for it."

"Mr. Watson," said Levi, suddenly springing to his feet, "I am sure I
can find Bessie."

Both Mr. Watson and Mr. Gayles looked at him with interest. He had done
a similar work once before, and his confident expression was entitled
to respect.

"I am as sure as I want to be that the Caribbee is anchored somewhere
in New York Bay. Dock's letter says so. He sent her there, intending to
join her as soon as he had collected his black mail. The facts and the
theory agree with each other."

"Admit what you say," added Mr. Watson, "and there is no doubt of it.
What shall we do?"

"I will go to New York in The Starry Flag. I can tell the Caribbee as
far as I can see her, by night or by day. I will stand off and on by
Sandy Hook, so that she cannot pass me. You and Mr. Gayles shall go to
New York to-night, charte