“That will be our plan,” said Chot.
“And Bert’s capture is not so much of a mystery now,” said Truem. “He evidently heard the smugglers rummaging in the cellar, knew he was about to make a discovery of some sort, motioned you fellows to come, and went to investigate. Then the smugglers captured him, and took him out through the secret passage before any of you could reach the lodge. They may have stayed in the tunnel until the excitement simmered down—who knows?”
“Well, I believe we have the advantage of them now,” said Chot. “We know their secret. They do not know we know it, and we are thus better prepared to take action to get Bert out of their clutches and hand the smugglers over to justice.”
“I wonder if Mr. Lawrence is on the other island?” said Fleet.
“If you want my opinion,” said Chot, “Mr. Lawrence went off the other night with a launch full of smuggled goods. The scraping sounds Tom and I heard in the night were evidently caused by the removal of cases of some sort that had been brought to the lodge from the north island, and I believe Mr. Lawrence went with them to some secret nook where he can safely land the goods on the New York shore.”
“But why should he want to bring them to the lodge before taking them to this other rendezvous?” Pod queried.
“There is only one way in which I can explain that,” said Chot. “The boundary line between the United States and Canada must run between these two islands. Thus, while the island to the north is in Canada, Winnsocket Lodge is in the United States, and once goods are brought here they have been carried over the first and most dangerous stage of their journey.”
“What do you think they smuggle?”
“A little of everything, perhaps, but I should say mostly valuable laces and precious stones, including diamonds, of course, brought into Canada through Labrador or some other secluded spot.”
“No wonder Mr. Lawrence told us that the money we could pay him for the rent of the lodge would be of no use,” said Fleet.