“Not a bit of it. They left Smiley's schooner here and went off in Spencer's.”
“Oh, he had one too?”
“Certainly he did.”
Dick had made headlong for the schooner. Now they saw him standing on the after deckhouse, reading a paper which he had found nailed to the mast.
“What have you there?” called Beveridge.
“Come and see.”
The special agent joined him and took the paper. “It's hard enough to read. Whoever wrote this was in a big hurry. What's this? 'Left again. You'd better foot it home. Whiskey Jim.' Whiskey Jim, eh? He's stealing your thunder, Smiley.”
“Will you let me see it again?” said Dick. He sat down on the edge of the deck-house and read it over, gazing at it with fascinated eyes. The other men watched him curiously.