“It was hardly necessary. I found the proofs right there on his schooner.”
“Is that right, Dick?”
“It seems to be.”
“You don't mean to say right out that you're a smuggler, Dick?”
“No, I'm not.”
Captain Fargo was puzzled. He looked from one to the other of the two men, until Beveridge, with an air of settling the matter, rose. “You'd better not throw away any sympathy there, Cap'n. You can be thankful to find out in time that he's a bad one. I'm only sorry to have to draw your family into it. I tried hard enough not to.”
“Yes, I know that.”
There was a shout outside, a noise on the steps, and a hammering on the door. Then before the fisherman could get out of his chair, the outer door burst open, and down the hall and into the dining room came Wilson, breathless, his hat still on his head.
“Well, Bert—”
“He's skipped!”