“No; they are not. The Oceanic has passed Fire Island, and Miss Mercedes, with her father and mother, are passengers. She will dock at six in the morning.”
“Good. Where is Reginald Danton?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, it is more than likely that he will be home soon after the others arrive, so it is safe to suppose that he will show up some time to-morrow, also. I don’t suppose that it occurred to you to keep tabs on the fact that Isabel Benton was liberated from the island to-day, did it?”
“No.”
“Well, I let it slip my mind, also—and we haven’t any of us an idea where her trail might be struck. We’ll have to let her slide for the present. On second thought, my lads, I think, instead of asking you all to stay in to-morrow morning, I will ask that each of you make it a point to be on the pier when the Oceanic docks in the morning. You may select your own disguises so long as they are good ones. I only wish you to be there. If there is anything to do, I will tell you what it is when the time comes. The main point is to keep a watchful eye over the Dantons—father, mother and daughter—and to keep particular tabs upon everybody who addresses them or approaches them in any way. We are doing this, too, without their knowledge or consent. Now, good night. I’ll see you at the pier.”
But Nick Carter did not go to bed when he bade his assistants good night.
As soon as they had left the room he hurried with all speed into one of his favorite disguises—that of a respectable, well-to-do farmer, who was, nevertheless, so far as appearances went, thoroughly unaccustomed to the ways and manners of the city, and who carried with him an accentuated type of the peculiarities of speech and motion of a man whose life has been bounded by stone walls and rail fences.
As soon as he was dressed he hurriedly left the house, hastened to the elevated station, and in a surprisingly short time arrived at South Ferry.
He knew, without having to inquire, where he would be most likely to find a tugboat with steam up, at that hour in the morning, for it was then close upon two o’clock, and, without loss of time, he presented himself to the sleepy captain, who was dozing in his pilot-house.