"When?" inquired the mate, slowly.
"Within the last ten or twenty minutes."
"Why, yes."
"Where is he?"
"I think he walked ashore. I didn't notice, particularly."
"Humph! Did he have his valise?"
"I don't know but what he did. I wasn't paying any particular attention. Are we to unload, or not?" went on the first mate.
"We are to do nothing until Mr. Van Blott is found," answered the captain, shortly.
"All right; in that case, you'll wait a long time," murmured the mate to himself.
After that a regular hunt was instituted, and the boys went ashore, along with Billy Dill. They even visited the offices of Baumann & Feltmuller, but not a trace of the missing supercargo could be found anywhere.