“Uncle George, I’ve just been talking with Inspector Burton,” said Frank. “The Bear has a full passenger list. Summer travel is heavy, it seems. Inspector Burton suggests that we stay aboard the Sub Chaser, as he is going to return to Santa Barbara. He will put us ashore there, he says, and we can catch the night train to San Francisco and be there tomorrow morning, ahead of the Bear.”
“Very good,” approved Mr. Temple. “That will
give us time to buy clothes in Santa Barbara, too. Also, you boys can stay aboard this boat a bit longer, and I know that appeals to you.”
The boys looked meaningly at each other. Then Frank laughed:
“That isn’t all,” he said. “The Inspector was delighted when he heard our story, and——”
“You told him everything?” queried Mr. Temple.
“Oh, no, I did not have time enough for that. But I did tell of our escape from the trawler. And he said the presence of the trawler here fitted into something he had in mind, which he would tell us about when he came aboard.”
“I think,” said Jack, “that he meant he had a clue to the smugglers’ cove, and that it was somewhere along this coast.”
Mr. Temple laughed.
“Oh, you boys,” he said. “You can’t give up hope of being in at the death, of having a hand in the round-up of the smugglers, can you?”