The detective stole after the man, but concluded he was merely a resident of the island who passed by through chance.
Returning to his man Vance made sure that he could not release himself, and then started down to the shore and moved along the beach, hoping to come upon the smugglers engaged in the unloading of their goods.
The detective traversed about four miles of coast when, far ahead of him, he saw the glimmer of dancing lights.
"Aha!" he muttered, "I've got 'em!"
He spoke in an incautiously loud tone, when a man sprung toward him.
The smugglers had put out sentinels, and our hero had run across one of them.
The sentinel proved to be a resolute fellow, as he did not stop to ask questions, but made a stroke at the detective's head.
Our hero dodged the blow, and seized the fellow;
The man struggled violently, and made several attempts to sing out an alarm, but he was in a grip of iron. The detective, however, had no time to spare. He was an overmatch for the smuggler, but at any, moment assistance might arrive. It was silence the officer needed at that moment, and he buried the fellow's head under water.
The poor fellow struggled violently, and it appeared a cruel recourse, but our hero knew that the water would render the man temporarily harmless. He did not mean to drown him.