“You will, of course, go with the Porter,” said Leonard, to Mr. Stark.
“Yes, and so must you. If Snags is among the prisoners I will want you to identify him, so that we may take especial care of him.”
“Hurrah!” muttered Leonard, in a suppressed tone of excitement. “Now for business! This miserable affair is almost at an end.”
“I hope so,” replied Mr. Stark. “It will all depend on Jessup’s signal.”
As the needful preparations had already been made, they started forth immediately, and within ten minutes more were on board the Porter, a stout, fast-going, well-armed steamer. And in five minutes more the vessel put to sea, bending her course nearly northward. Her destination was near a portion of the coast but little frequented by ships, there being no large harbors for the accommodation of foreign trade.
It was this fact that had enabled the smugglers to operate with comparative safety. Their goods were brought to within a mile or two of the shore, and then carried to the land in yachts, as has been seen.
The Porter steamed along leisurely at the rate of eight or nine knots an hour, and between ten or eleven o’clock halted four miles off Rocky Beach.
Every light was extinguished, to guard against the smuggling craft taking alarm.
Leonard and Mr. Stark, with others, stationed themselves on the deck to keep a lookout.
About midnight faint lights were seen moving from an easterly direction. They turned northward, and slowly glided toward the shore. Occasionally a shower of sparks would puff toward the clouds.