Whether any one was hit or not it was impossible to tell, but all four men at once sprang overboard and, abandoning their boat, struck out for the south bulkhead of the channel, which was no great distance away.
"We win!" cried the old detective. "No more firing, boys. I had just as soon they would escape."
They pushed on to the abandoned boat.
The mist closed in on them and the swimmers were lost to view.
Making fast to the boat, the kicker sprang aboard and lowered the sail.
"A good haul, Mr. Brady," he exclaimed. "There are thousands of pounds of hop here, but what do you suppose is in this big box?"
"That remains for us to discover," replied Old King Brady. "Is it heavy?"
"Very," replied the kicker, weighting the box.
"Never mind now. Make fast and we will pull around to the Indian Basin. I shall touch nothing until we are at the Government stores."
The kicker obeyed, and was just about to step back into the launch, when Old King Brady, ordering him to remain where he was, he sat down on the big tin box.