“That’s what it is,” reaffirmed the officer. “We got wind that it was headed this way, with a cargo of dope. You could pack a million dollars’ worth of that stuff without a bit of it to show. So we were watching for this junk; and we went through it right. Not a pipeful of the stuff on board.”
“How do you explain that?” asked Darley.
“Simple enough,” said the revenue man. “This voyage was a blind. They’ve pulled that gag before. Let ‘em come into port a few times — to get the lay. Then they’ll be wise, and slip over a fast one on the next trip.”
“How long does it take a ship of this type to cross the Pacific?”
“Plenty long,” declared the agent, “We won’t hear from this tub again for months. But she’ll be back — you wait and see! There’ll be trouble from the Pung-Shoon, some day.”
Darley shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s trouble enough tonight,” was his comment. “Well, we can go in a few minutes, as soon as some of these Chinese watchers come aboard.”
“Who are they?”
“Ones whom we know. They gave us the tip-off. So we came down to look around. Wanted them here to identify any suspects. I’ve decided to let them stay and keep watch.”
“Good idea,” said the revenue man.