"Did you never tell your suspicion?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I was waiting a chance to verify it."
"You think it would cost a man his life to be caught by those fellows?"
"That's my idea."
The detective had made some important discoveries, and, among others, he had "piped" down to the fact that the crew of the "Nancy" were as desperate and blood-thirsty a set of scoundrels as ever ran in and out of Long Island even with that famous buccaneer, Captain Kidd.
"About how many men have been missing at different time?" asked our hero.
"It's hard to tell; but the crew of the 'Nancy' could tell some fearful tales if they were to open their mouths."
The detective was destined to go to the bottom of the mystery.