“And now tell us what you think about it,” insisted Maxwell Kane.
“I think as you do,” replied the detective, smiling; “that you were visited by a pirate, who has succeeded in injuring your feelings much more than he did your purse. But now I want you to answer some questions which occur to me; and after that—well, after that we’ll see what can be done.”
CHAPTER III.
“THAT FELLOW WHO LOOKS LIKE ME.”
“Do you think you can catch him?” asked Bessie Harlan, leaning forward in her chair, with rapt interest depicted in her expression.
Nick Carter laughed aloud.
“It would seem, Miss Harlan,” he replied, “that at the present moment, in order to do that, I would be obliged to swim. Pirates do not leave clues behind them, like burglars, outlaws, footpads, and common thieves. You cannot pick up old buttons and locks of hair on the crest of the waves, and there are no saloons and other places of resort along the coast which I might frequent in order to get on the track of one of the pirate’s pals. However——”
“I see you are laughing at me,” she said.
“Not at all, I assure you. But you asked me if I thought I could catch him, so I have to reply that I don’t know.”