Mr. Temple beamed on the gathering in his sitting room at the Victoria Hotel. It was the afternoon of the following day. The party included the three chums and Inspector Burton. Ensign Warwick had duties demanding his attention. Inventor Bender and Doctor Marley had left for San Francisco.
“Well, boys, I can’t tell you how relieved I am at the safe outcome of your adventures,” declared Mr. Temple. “I was worried. There’s no denying it. When you left last evening for Santa Cruz Island, everybody said there would be no danger and that the smugglers would submit without a fight. But I had a premonition of trouble. Besides,” he added, twinkling, “I knew that where there was trouble, you three youngsters would be sure to be in it.”
“They were in it, indeed,” said Inspector Burton. “If it hadn’t been for them, I don’t know how matters would have turned out. Having isolated us in the stockade, the smugglers might have captured the Sub Chaser. Anything might have happened.”
The boys stirred uncomfortably under this praise.
“Inspector Burton, won’t you tell us now how you and Ensign Warwick came to be in the stockade?” asked Jack, to divert the conversation. “So far you have been busy with other matters, and we haven’t heard the story yet.”
“Yes, I meant to tell you as we crossed from Santa Cruz this morning, but the questioning of the prisoners kept me so engaged it was impossible. Folwell wouldn’t talk, but that man, Matt Murphy, gave me much valuable information.”
“He’s a pretty good scout,” said Frank thoughtfully, “and we took quite a liking to him. But, somehow, a man that turns traitor to his friends loses caste with me.”
“That’s a natural feeling,” said Inspector Burton, tolerantly. “But in this case, there are extenuating circumstances. It’s too long to explain now. At any rate, I’ll be able to make it light for Murphy.”
“Well, tell-tale or not, I’m glad of that,” said Bob. “He did us a good turn when we were captives aboard the trawler.”
Inspector Burton then proceeded to explain that, after landing from the Sub Chaser on the north shore of Santa Cruz the previous night, he had led his party through the mountains. After striking the headwaters of the creek, they followed down the