“Uncle good to me,” Jacques said simply. “Bring me to America.”
“I get the picture now,” Dan said. “Without meaning to, I let Joe Matt know you were staying at the Cave. He came there and made you return to your uncle, didn’t he?”
Jacques nodded, his eyes on the shore lights which now were close by.
“That explains those peculiar circular marks in the sand,” Dan went on piecing the story together. “They were made by Joe Matt’s cane! Oh, he was clever, pretending to be blind. All the while, he picked up information and relayed it to members of the ring. Hank considered him a friend!”
The launch reached the dock and the three prisoners were herded ashore. Hank Hawkins, having revived from the blow Joe Matt had struck, readily identified the boxes of furs as the ones stolen from his company.
“Another one of the gang got away!” he told police excitedly. “He pulled out in a taxi cab.”
“That would be Paper Bag Eddie,” Dan informed. “The driver of the cab was in on the deal too.”
“We’ll get ’em both,” the boy was assured. “If not tonight, within a day or two. Eddie is the key man of a ring of river pirates. The gang is composed of tip-off men, highjackers, a lawyer and a bail bondsman. Also a fence or two who sell the loot. But we’ll round ’em up in time.”
All three prisoners and Jacques as well, were taken to the police station to be booked on larceny charges. However, officers assured Jacques that he would not be held for trial, providing he would testify against Joe Matt and other members of the gang. This the boy agreed to do.
Dan’s narrow escape at the hands of the river pirates became the talk of Webster City during the next few days. Especially was his adventure the chief topic of conversation among the Cubs of both Dens 1 and 2.