“Ahoy, there!”
A voice answered in Chinese.
“Speak English!” roared the officer. “Throw over a ladder or we’ll open fire on you.”
“Who there?”
“The police.”
Jabbering voices and running footsteps suddenly created a commotion. One of the troopers fired his revolver into the air and very promptly a ladder was lowered over the side of the vessel.
“That’s better!” said the federal man, as he clambered up over the rail, revolver in hand. “I’ll just talk to your skipper for a minute.”
The capture of Li Chang was without incident. When he was told that Snackley and the gang were captured, the Chinaman, who was a small, wizened little fellow with a villainous countenance, blandly submitted to arrest and consented to be taken ashore. There were only two or three members of the crew aboard, the others having shore leave; so two of the federal men were left in charge of the ship until relief could be sent from Bayport, and the motorboat made its way back to the cove.
The round-up was complete. Snackley’s smuggling gang had been completely broken up.