"Can you tell me why?"

Kennedy was thinking deeply. "I can't, offhand," he replied frankly.
"But I should like to have a chance to investigate."

"There may be some connection with the fire," hinted Gaskell anxiously
as he accompanied us to the door.

At our own apartment, when we returned, we found our friend, Burke, of
the Secret Service, waiting for us.

"Just had a hurry call to come to New York," he explained, "and thought
I'd like to drop in on you first."

"What's the trouble?" asked Kennedy.

"Why, there's been a mysterious yacht lurking about the mouth of the
harbor for several days and they want to look into it."

"Whose yacht do they think it is?"

"They don't know, but it is said to resemble one that belongs to a man
named Gaskell."

"Gaskell?" repeated Craig, turning suddenly.

"Yes,--the _Furious_--a fast, floating palace--one of these new power
yachts, run by a gas engine--built for speed. Why, do you know anything
about it?"

Kennedy said nothing.

"The revenue cutter _Uncas_ has been assigned to me," went on Burke. "If
you have nothing better to do, I'd like to have you give me a hand in
the case. You might find it a little different from the ordinary run."

"I shall be glad to go with you," replied Craig cordially. "Only, just
now I've got a particular case of my own. I'll see you tomorrow at the
Customs House, though, if I can."

"Good!" exclaimed Burke. "I don't think either of you, particularly
Jameson, will regret it. It promises to be a good story."

Burke had scarcely left us when Kennedy decided on his next move. We
went directly over to the Long Island Railroad station and caught the
next train out to Oceanhurst, not a long run from the city.

Thus, early in the evening, Kennedy was able to begin, under cover, his
investigation of the neighborhood of the Rovigno and Gaskell houses.

We entered the Gaskell estate and looked it over as we made our way
toward the stable to find the groom. Out on the bay we could see the
_Furious_ at anchor. Nearer in shore were a couple of Count Rovigno's
speedy racing motor-boats. Along the shore, we saw a basin for yachts,
capable even of holding the _Furious_.

The groom proved to be a rather dull-witted fellow, and left us pretty
much to our own devices.

"Ya-as--sparks--I saw 'em," he drawled in answer to Kennedy's question.
"So did Mr. Gaskell. Naw--I don't know nawthin' about 'em."

He had lumbered out into another part of the sta