“Go on,” urged Nick. “What is the point of all this?”
“The point is,” replied Captain Douglas impressively, “that Henry Morlein was lying in the back seat of the car, senseless from chloroform, and everything in his pockets, including several hundred dollars belonging to the government, had been taken. He had been robbed of every valuable thing that had been about him.”
“Chloroformed?”
“Yes. That’s what the doctor says it was.”
“Who is supposed to have done it?”
“Men about the wharf say there was no one near the automobile except Mr. Portersham. He was seen talking to Morlein before he went to the steamer, and José remembers hearing Mr. Portersham tell Morlein not to get out of the car, but to go right back.”
“José is sure of that, eh?”
“Quite.”
“What kind of a man is this José?”
“He’s a reliable fellow. Everybody speaks well of him. He is a Cuban by birth. If he makes a statement, it is safe to accept it, as a rule.”