The wind howled over their heads with increasing velocity and Sidney thought involuntarily of the snugness of Miss Letty's buggy. Miss Letty was probably almost to Truro now. And Aunt Achsa thought she was with her! "Is--is the boat tied tight?" asked Pola; and Lav assured her that it was. "The wind could get a lot worse and you'd be as safe out here as in your bed at home." After a long while Mart muttered, "What's that?" The others leaned forward in the blackness of the cabin. They had all felt rather than heard a soft thud as though something had touched the side of the boat. And in a few moments heavy footsteps came straight toward the fo'castle. "Oh, will they come _here_?" breathed Pola, shaking. And for answer Sidney caught Pola's arm with a warning clutch. For an instant it seemed that the footsteps must descend to the cabin. But at the companionway they halted. A voice came, heavy and thick. "I tell you it ain't safe to take it off now. They got a man on Rockman's and another on Teal's and no knowin' how many in the bay! Every constable on the Cape's here, damn them! And old Davies's been 'round all day and he ain't rigged up for any picnic!" "If we don't take it off tonight Lav Green may find it--or that girl--" At that someone laughed, horribly. "Huh--_him_! Why we could twist every crooked bone in his body until he wouldn't know 'em. Him--ha, that's a joke! Why, a look 'ud scare him to a pulp. The girl, too." Sidney, reaching her hand out instinctively, caught Lavender's and held it tight. She felt the writhing of his body. A new voice broke in above them. "I got a better scheme. Listen. We'll--" But the voices suddenly died to silence; the footsteps moved away. The four, huddled in the darkness of the cabin, drew long trembling breaths. "Lav, those diamonds are on this boat!" "Sh--h. I know it. But we got to be careful. They haven't gone yet. We got to wait. And we'll wait until we find 'em. Damn them _I'll_ show them who's crooked!" "Hush," implored Sidney. "Of course you will" "Isn't it most morning? I--I wish I was home," quavered Pola; but no one paid any heed to her. With the howling of the wind, the slap-slap of the water, it was difficult to make out whether the men had left the boat or not. Once Lav crawled to the top of the companion ladder but a muttering like a human voice drove him back. Queer sounds struck upon their sensitized ears. And the boat seemed to lift to a new motion. They waited for an interminable time. Then Mart spoke quickly. "Lav, we're moving!" Lav needed no warning. He, too, had missed the pull of the boat on the anchor rope. He shot up the ladder. "Oh, what's the matter?" cried Sidney and Pola, forgetting all caution. Mart had no time to explain her fears. In an instant Lav was back, fairly throwing himself into the cabin. "We're drifting! They cut the anchor rope! We're drifting out! Fast! Way out! To sea!"