The boy laid down four pieces of money. “Ay be rady,” said the captain, taking up the money. In the meantime Professor Gunn had met and told Colonel Stringer, and the colonel had carried the story to his English friend, Coddington. These men were eager to join in the pursuit of Nadia’s captors. They were on hand when Dick and Brad appeared and announced the securing of the steamer. “My dear Coddington,” said the colonel, “the prospect of a little fighting makes my blood stir. Are yo’ armed, suh?” “I have my pistol, don’t you know,” answered the Englishman. “Very good, suh. I have two pistols, and I can use them both. We’ll make it red-hot fo’ this Spaniard and his Turkish friend, if we evah catch them.” “But I’m afraid we’ll never catch them,” said Coddington. “This steamer the boy has secured is a slow old tub.” “We’ll overtake them if we have to pursue them clean up to Lake Victoria Nyanza,” declared Dick grimly. “I don’t see why they turned up the river, if they wish to get away.” “That’s what puzzled me up a plenty, pard,” put in Buckhart. “Mebbe Budthorne made a mistake; mebbe the Turk’s yacht went down the river.” But Budthorne insisted that he had made no mistake, and so, when they had boarded the excursion steamer and found everything ready for the start, they headed toward the upper waters of the Nile. “Look there!” “Where?” The exclamation and the question were spoken in a whisper. Dick uttered the first; the second came from several of his companions. “Close to the shore in that cove yonder.” “What do you see?” “Looks like the black hulk of a boat in the shadow of those thick palms.” “It sure does look that way!” palpitated Buckhart. “But it may be one of these river boats, don’t you know,” said Coddington. “They find many places where they swing in to the shore and tie up.” “She shows no light,” said Colonel Stringer. Dick spoke to the pilot. “Can you run in there?” he asked. “We think we see a boat near the shore.” The pilot explained that the river was quite deep there, such current as there was being thrown near the bank by its winding course. He sounded the bell for half speed and the steamer glided toward the deep shadows. Professor Gunn was very nervous. “We must be near the site of old Memphis,” he said. “The ruins are covered by a great palm grove, and you can see plenty of palms there, on the shore.” But the others were watching the small, dark hulk that lay near the shore close under the shadow of the palms, through which the light from the low-lying moon sifted in spots. “Whoever is on board there, they ought to know we’re coming,” growled Buckhart, disgusted by the fuss made by the little steamer, which was snorting and wheezing in a manner to be heard afar in the wonderful silence of that Egyptian night. “I think some one is stirring, don’t you know,” said Coddington. “I fancied I saw something move.”