The day following his conversation with Carolyn May wherein she had spoken of his automobile being at the Corners, this master of men sent a special message to one of his employ s in his New York office: "Come here with René and the _White Streak_, tomorrow." There was no explanatory phrase attached to the message. This man was not in the habit of explaining in any case. Therefore a little before noon the next day a forty foot turbine launch was sighted off the neck, heading islandwards with a bone in her teeth. She was painted white, she was as narrow as a shark, and her speed was something to marvel at as she approached the narrow waterway that the islanders called "the breach." Beating up for the same point was the _Snatch It_, Barzilla Ball's double-ender. She had been out to the banks since the previous morning, and Barzilla proposed to put his catch aboard the New London steam smack that left the port that afternoon. It was this handling of his catch by a middleman that rasped the young fisherman on the raw. It was too far for the _Snatch It_ to make market herself. "Look at that thing coming, Mr. Bassett," said Barzilla, "She throws up a wave two feet high, if it's an inch." "Turbine," returned Baby Laird's father. "I used to--Well, they are fast craft. If your boat had a quarter of her speed, Barzilla, you'd be fixed good." "Ain't it so? Le's see which of us will make the breach first." He shifted his helm a little. Bassett went forward, in readiness to drop the jib when the _Snatch It_ shot into the narrow waterway. He had been used to sailing boats and small yachts since boyhood, and his previous summers at Block Island had added to his sea-knowledge until, as Barzilla said, he was as good as any "blooded banker." Barzilla had let his crew go and insisted on paying Joe Bassett instead. The latter kept a curious gaze upon the _White Streak_, which indeed did leave a white streak in her wake as well as push a foaming wave before her. The city man was not long puzzled as to the turbine's identity; but he was amazed by seeing her in these waters. "I've seen that thing before," drawled Barzilla. "Her owner's some big bug. Looks like she was sent for an' was trying to git there, eh?" "She can travel. But surely her owner isn't on Block Island?" "Dunno. Ain't heard. Mebbe he's aboard her now." Bassett turned his back on the swiftly sailing launch, which shot across the bows of the double-ender and took the strait in advance. The _Snatch It_ had to tack and beat across the pond to the steam trawler, the skipper of which was buying fish and lobsters for the New London market. The turbine had already docked. The moment the _White Streak_ was tied up, the saturnine man whom Carolyn May had twice had occasion to observe, landed and set his feet toward the Orowoc House. René, who acted as engineer of the turbine as he did chauffeur of the large car, was left aboard with two Japanese boys who made up the crew.