“I don’t know a Baroness Latour—or a Mademoiselle Valeria, either,â€� snorted Spanner.
“Don’t you? Well, we’ll look for Mrs. van Dietrich ourselves. When we have found her, we shall know something about the ownership of the yacht, I think.�
“Look here, Mr. Carter,� suddenly broke in Lord Vin[Pg 41]ton, who had been standing in the corridor, “Mr. Drago has come to tell me that there is something or other clicking away in the captain’s room, and he’s afraid it is an infernal machine.�
“I don’t think there is anything infernal about it,â€� laughed the detective. “Take this pistol and hold it to the head of this chunky gentleman in pajamas on the bed till I come back. If he becomes too restless—that is, to the point of being threatening—pull the trigger.â€�
“What are you going to do?�
“I’m going to take a look at the infernal machine in the captain’s room.�
“Very well. The door is locked outside, and the captain is gagged and bound on his berth,� remarked Lord Vinton coolly.
CHAPTER XII.
THE INFERNAL MACHINE.
It was just what Nick Carter expected when he entered the stateroom of Captain Latell—the “infernal machineâ€� was fixed in the window, with the sash helping to hold it firm.
“The wireless telephone,� he muttered. “I wonder who is talking.�