"I was in a fix then, I was in a fix before I got there, and I'm afraid I'm in a fix now," continued Ridgely. "I've come to see you in the right spirit, Dashaway." "How is that?" inquired Dave. "Sick of the whole combination. I thought I was smart, but you and your people are smarter. Young Dawson convinced me that we could run things so our airship could make trips for a long time, and here you are on our trail within seventy-two hours." "Yes, Mr. Ridgely," acknowledged the young aviator. "They found a clew and started pursuit right after you stole the Drifter." "You mean you did. Don't be modest, Dashaway. I've learned a good deal about you, and if I hadn't about decided to quit business I'd offer you a job." "What!" smiled Dave--"smuggling?" "Well, it pays pretty big, you know." "Does it?" replied Dave. "I fail to see it. I wouldn't like to be in a position where I was being chased half over the country." "H'm, we won't discuss it," retorted Ridgely in a moody tone. "I came to tell you that you won't be hurt any." "But I want to get away from here," insisted Dave. "That will be all, too," Ridgely assured him. "You see, we know now that things are going to break up. I don't suppose you would tell me how closely the revenue officers are on our track." "So close," replied Dave gravely, "that you won't dare to cross the border any more." "Are they on the Canadian side yet?" questioned Ridgely anxiously. "I don't know that, and I shouldn't feel right in telling you if I did," replied Dave. "You had better let me go, Mr. Ridgely. It won't sound well, when things get righted, that you kept me a prisoner here." "I haven't all the say about that, Dashaway," confessed Ridgely in a rueful way. "I don't think the Dawsons will let you go until they are sure of making themselves safe." "Do you know what became of our airship, Mr. Ridgely?" Dave asked pointedly. "No, I don't--none of us do. Young Dawson is pretty good in the air, but he didn't seem to know how to get off the water quickly. After we got you aboard, we lost a lot of time getting you ashore, and, up in the air again, when we started in the direction we had seen your airship go, we could find no trace of it." "I hope nothing his happened to Hiram," thought Dave, very anxiously. "If I get away," resumed Ridgely, "I want you to tell the people after me, if you can, that I'm all through with the smuggling business. I've had my fill of it." The speaker turned to leave the room, but Dave halted him with the question: "What are you going to do about me, Mr. Ridgely?" "I am going to order the people here to treat you the best they know how," was the prompt response. "That's all very well enough," said Dave, "but I have business to attend to." "What business, Dashaway?" "Our airship and my friend." Ridgely looked troubled. He was thoughtfully, silent for a moment or two. Then he said: