Captain Barker ran to the railing. “Halt!” he shouted. “Halt or I’ll fire!”
The man, a mere shadow in the mist arising from the river, rowed faster. Captain Barker fired two shots, purposely high. The man ducked down into the boat, and a moment later switched on an outboard motor, which rapidly carried him beyond view.
“Did you see who the fellow was, Sally?” the captain demanded wrathfully.
“No, it was too dark. Do you think he got away with the money in the safe?”
Fearing the worst, the trio descended to an office room adjoining the passenger lounge. A chair had been overturned there, but the door of the safe remained locked.
“You girls must have surprised him before he had time to steal the money,” Captain Barker declared in relief. “No harm done, but this is the first time in six years that anyone tried to sneak aboard the Queen. We’ll have to keep a better watch from now on.”
As the girls turned to leave the cabin, Sally saw that Penny was looking at the third finger of her right hand.
“Why, you’re hurt!” she cried.
Penny’s hand was smeared with blood which came from a tiny pin-prick wound on the finger.
“It’s nothing,” she insisted.