“Then he’s a tough customer if he escaped from that river and got down here so rapidly.” “One thing we’ve got to remember,” cautioned Bob, “is that the gang is compact and apparently extremely well organized.” The sheriff was silent for a time. “Think that plane landing last night might have brought in smuggled gems?” “I don’t know,” confessed Bob. “Everyone in the department has a feeling that the gang is pointing toward one more big smuggling operation. If the gems had come in last night I have a feeling that more than one man would have been with Hamsa to get them. It just doesn’t seem logical that one man, even though he might be the leader of the gang, would handle this end of the game. I’d be more inclined to think the contact last night was for the purpose of making final plans.” Chapter XXIX MORE CLUES ★ The sheriff turned this over in his mind for some time as the train rumbled along the rough right-of-way. Then he nodded and agreed with Bob. “Looks like you’re right. That means we may be in for a busy time when the actual contact is attempted.” “We’ll be busy enough, if we can learn where the contact will be made,” retorted the young federal agent. “What about your uncle?” asked the sheriff. The exultation which had marked Bob’s features vanished. “I don’t honestly know. From the reputation of this gang I should fear the worst, but for some reason I have unbounded faith in my uncle’s ability to take care of himself in a crisis. The last we knew was that he disappeared from the waterfront and shortly after that a motorboat sped down the river.” “Then if a big smuggling operation is under way, it’s just possible that he might be brought down here,” argued the sheriff. “He might be taken to their hideout,” agreed Bob, “but so far our men have no real clue to that.” “We may be able to pick up something at Atalissa,” said the sheriff. “I’ve a number of friends there who may be able to give me information you never could get.” As the accommodation jogged toward the coast, the country became wilder and they rumbled across narrow bridges that spanned bayous and salt streams. Undergrowth was thick and almost jungle-like. They were in one of the wildest sections of the Florida coast—uninviting, inhospitable, and for years the hideout for lawbreakers of various kinds. The brakes went on sharply and the little train swung around a curve as the wheels shrieked a protest. Looking ahead, Bob could see a huddle of houses around a large bayou. Beyond that was a narrow opening and further out a glimpse of the blue Atlantic. This, then, must be Atalissa, his present destination. The sheriff stood up, and looked at his watch. “Lucky trip this morning,” he declared. “Usually the local has a couple of derailments.”