The motor-boat was a trim little craft, some forty feet in length, with a cabin forward, and an open deck aft, the latter covered with an awning and containing several chairs.

As she drew nearer Chot uttered an exclamation of astonishment, for plainly visible at the bow was a small brass swivel gun, evidently of the rapid fire variety.

“Mr. Lawrence is evidently prepared for war,” said Fleet. “I didn’t know they used such weapons on private yachts.”

“That’s no private yacht,” said Chot, who was studying the boat intently; “see that American flag at the stern and the man in a blue uniform at the wheel. That, fellows, is a government boat, probably in the revenue service. She is of a fine size to wind in and out among these islands.”

“But what can she be wanting at Winnsocket Lodge?” asked Pod, perplexed.

“That I can’t say, but, very likely, the officers are on the trail of the smugglers. They may have taken Mr. Lawrence captive, and are now on the lookout for the rest of the band.”

“We’d better go meet them,” said Tom. “That will show our good will.”

“Yes; Pod, you go down and tell Bert to watch the prisoners while we are gone, and don’t say anything before the smugglers about the officers being here.”

Pod hurried away to do Chot’s bidding, and Chot, Tom, Fleet and Truem went down to the little wharf toward which the motor-boat was heading.

The noise of her engines soon ceased, and describing a pretty circle, she came drifting up to the landing. Two men—one in the bow, the other in the stern—threw painters to the boys, who made them fast to posts on the wharf.

“Is this Winnsocket Lodge?” asked an officer, as he sprang ashore and eyed the boys keenly.

“Yes, sir,” Chot responded.

“Do you live here?”

“No; we are a party of cadets from Winton Hall on the Hudson. We came up here in canoes, then remained as the guests of a Mr. Lawrence, who left the day after we arrived.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“No, sir; he went away in the night in a motor-boat.”

“I am Lieutenant Weston Winters of the United States revenue service,” the officer went on, extending his hand. “We have been trying to trace to their hiding place a band of smugglers. We have every reason to believe that this Mr. Lawrence is the leader of the band. Have there been any unusual happenings since your arrival?”

“There has been nothing else,” Chot replied, smiling. “As for the smugglers, we have captured the entire band with the exception of Mr. Lawrence, and we were getting ready to take him, too, believing at first that this was his boat.”

Of course, Lieutenant Winters wanted the details, and Chot related their adventures from the moment they met Mr. Lawrence until the release of Bert Creighton from the smugglers’ lair the previous night.

“And you have these men safe in the cellar?” asked Lieutenant Winters, a merry twinkle in his eyes.

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I don’t see much use of Uncle Sam keeping his officers in the St. Lawrence. You have done your country a noble service, boys, and one which will not be forgotten.”

“We have simply tried to do our duty as citizens,” returned Chot, earnestly.

“And you have more than succeeded. Now, let me see the captives.”

The boys led the way to the lodge, Lieutenant Winters following with two of his men.

Down into the basement they went where Bert sat with a revolver, guarding the prisoners.

“H’m! A bunch of beauties,” was Lieutenant Winter’s comment. “There is ‘Dandy Dick’ Short, whom we have been wanting for some time, who was formerly a notorious smuggler on the gulf coast; and Larry Nexton, and Bill Gerry, and Flitty Gray, and, who’s this—oh, yes, and Joe Silverton. Why, these are all old friends, boys—and old hands at the smuggling business. They have been trying to elude our clutches for a long time.”

“And it looks like we succeeded pretty well,” said Dandy Dick Short, the leader of the band. A sneer curled his lip. “It was left to a bunch of kids to catch us when we were not looking.”

“Then all credit to the ‘kids,’ as you call them,” said Lieutenant Winters, warmly. “The result has been accomplished, and I think I am safe in saying that you won’t do any more smuggling for some years to come. How long have you been working for Lawrence?”

The men looked at each other, but said nothing.

“Don’t want to squeal on him, eh? Oh, that’s all right. I’m glad to see that there is still some honor among thieves. We’ll get him, all right. He knows nothing of what’s happened here, and when he returns he’ll find a little surprise waiting for him.”

Still the men said nothing.

“That’s all right, boys, just hold your tongues.” The lieutenant turned to Chot. “I’ll leave my two men to take charge of these fellows. We’re going to stay at the lodge until Lawrence returns.”

“That suits us,” said Chot. “We’ll all wait, and if we boys can render any further assistance, just command us.”

The two men from the revenue boat were placed as guards over the prisoners, thus relieving the boys of all responsibility in this regard.

Lieutenant Winters took up his abode at the lodge, sending the motor-boat around to the east end of the island, where, in a little cove, she was concealed from view from the north island, as well as the approaches from the west and south, by one of which routes Mr. Lawrence would be sure to come on his return to the island.

“Lawrence will no doubt come as he went, in the night,” said Lieutenant Winters, “so we had best arrange a watch.”

“He will probably enter by means of the secret passage,” said Tom. “That is the way he left, I am sure.”

“In other words,” said the lieutenant, “believing that you know nothing of the underground exit, he will probably seek to enter his room in the night and appear before you at the breakfast table as a complete surprise.”

“That’s the way he likes to do things, I should say, from what little opportunity I have had for observation,” Tom replied.

“Does anyone know what Mr. Lawrence does in Boston?” asked Pod.

“I understand he is a diamond merchant,” said Lieutenant Winters, “and that is one reason why we have been so anxious to catch him. The duty on precious stones is something enormous, and the government stands to lose considerable as long as such clever smugglers remain at liberty.”

Chot took occasion to explain the assistance the Jap had rendered them, telling the officer how the Oriental had feared Mr. Lawrence, who had kept him at all times in a state of subjection and humility.

“I am sure the little Jap never did a wrong thing in his life,” said Chot—“in fact, we found that he knew absolutely nothing about the smuggling, except that something mysterious was going on in the lodge. I doubt if he even understood what the word, ‘smuggling’ meant.”

“Very likely you are right,” replied the lieutenant, “and I assure you that I have no desire to place him in custody. I should like to have him where I can reach him, however, in case I need his testimony at the trial of the smugglers.”

Hoki was delighted when informed that the officers had no designs on his peace and happiness. He declared his life-long devotion to the boys, and expressed an ardent desire to learn some American trade or business where he could always be near them. He had saved over a thousand dollars in his two years’ service with Mr. Lawrence, he told them, the smuggler chief having been generous in his reward for Hoki’s faithful work.

“Mr. Lawrence can’t be all bad,” said Fleet, “when he treats Hoki so well.”

“At any rate,” said Chot, “this has given me an idea regarding Hoki.” After a moment’s pause in which he was apparently thinking deeply, he said: “Hoki, how would you like to go to an American school?”

“It would give me greatest of pleasure, sirs, if my money is sufficiently large enough to accomplish such desires as you mention,” replied Hoki.

“I believe a few years at Winton would make a good American out of you. You already read English do you not?”

“Yes; I read quite well, thank you, sirs.”

“Then I believe we can induce Commandant Cullum to take you in.”

“It will give me much joy, believe me, sirs,” said the little Jap.

The prospect of being near the Comrades and their chums appealed to him more than anything else.

The boys resolved to take the Jap to Mortonville as their guest at the end of the canoe trip, from which place negotiations could be carried on with the commandant at Winton, looking to Hoki’s entry into the school. He would be unable to pass a rigid examination, they knew, but in the case of foreigners exceptions had often been made in other schools, and they felt sure that Commandant Cullum would make it possible for the Jap to attend his institution.

A plan of action was agreed upon before any of the inmates of Winnsocket Lodge retired that night. If Mr. Lawrence cared to return to the lodge, he was to be allowed to enter and go secretly to his room. A man would then be stationed outside his door, and another in the yard outside, to guard against any tricks, and in the morning the leader would be informed of the capture of his band.

As the chief would probably enter the lodge through the basement, the smugglers were removed to one of the upper rooms of the lodge, that they might have no opportunity for disclosing their capture prematurely. Two men still remained on guard over them.

It was assumed that Mr. Lawrence would return in a motor-boat, as he had left, and Lieutenant Winters arranged that at a signal from him—a light placed in an upstairs window on the side where the government boat was moored—the “Lucia,” as the government boat was named, was to go in pursuit of the boat which landed Mr. Lawrence, overhaul and capture her, returning thence to the island to take the prisoners to the New York shore.

Nothing occurred the first night, but shortly after midnight on the second the sound of a motor-boat was wafted over the water to Lieutenant Winters and Tom, who were doing guard duty. Every light had been extinguished, and from the rear window they waited for some sign that the smuggler chief was returning.

They had not long to wait, for the motor-boat came up to the shore of the island at a rapid pace. It was a perfect starlit night, and while the craft had no lights out, they could make out her dark outline against the water. There was some conversation which they were unable to catch, then the figure of a man sprang ashore and made for the mouth of the passage.

Lieutenant Winters called softly to one of his men to flash the signal to the “Lucia,” and a moment later they heard the government boat move out of the cove and shoot around the end of the island in pursuit.

Tom ran quickly to his room and crawled in bed, and presently the lieutenant heard a soft, scraping sound in the basement, then light footfalls on the stairs. Mr. Lawrence made no attempt to strike a light, being thoroughly familiar with every foot of the lodge, and he tip-toed softly to the door of his room, entered and closed it with scarcely a sound.

“Ah!” breathed the revenue man. “The most important bird is caught at last.”

Then he sat down outside the door of the smuggler chief to await the coming of day.