“Keep quiet, Mr. Spanner!” admonished Nick. “We have possession of the yacht, and----” “Where is Captain Latell?” thundered Spanner. “A prisoner in his stateroom. And we have the second mate, Morgan, tied and gagged, in the chart room.” “And Kennedy?” “Drowned.” “What?” “He tried to make a prisoner of me and two guests at the Hotel Amsterdam, and he fell overboard, into the sea. He was not seen again. I want you to tell me where Mrs. van Dietrich is on this yacht.” “I don’t know what you are talking about,” protested Spanner. “That’s unfortunate. Because, if you don’t produce the lady within ten minutes, we shall take you ashore and have you put in jail for kidnaping.” “Let me get up and dress,” growled Spanner. “You have no right to come aboard my yacht at all, and I want to see what you are doing here.” “Oh, it is your yacht, is it?” asked Nick, with a curious smile. “I supposed you were the uncle of the owner, and that her name is Mademoiselle Valeria. She has been staying at the Hotel Amsterdam for some days under the name of the Baroness Latour.” “I don’t know a Baroness Latour--or a Mademoiselle Valeria, either,” snorted Spanner. “Don’t you? Well, we’ll look for Mrs. van Dietrich ourselves. When we have found her, we shall know something about the ownership of the yacht, I think.” “Look here, Mr. Carter,” suddenly broke in Lord Vinton, who had been standing in the corridor, “Mr. Drago has come to tell me that there is something or other clicking away in the captain’s room, and he’s afraid it is an infernal machine.” “I don’t think there is anything infernal about it,” laughed the detective. “Take this pistol and hold it to the head of this chunky gentleman in pajamas on the bed till I come back. If he becomes too restless--that is, to the point of being threatening--pull the trigger.” “What are you going to do?” “I’m going to take a look at the infernal machine in the captain’s room.” “Very well. The door is locked outside, and the captain is gagged and bound on his berth,” remarked Lord Vinton coolly. CHAPTER XII. THE INFERNAL MACHINE. It was just what Nick Carter expected when he entered the stateroom of Captain Latell--the “infernal machine” was fixed in the window, with the sash helping to hold it firm. “The wireless telephone,” he muttered. “I wonder who is talking.” It was clicking in a subdued way, and the detective, after a careless glance at the captain on the bed, put the receiver on his ears, and settled down to listen. “Hello!” was the first utterance of the machine that Nick caught. “Is that the yacht?” “Yes,” replied Nick. “Who is that?” “Is Colonel Pearson aboard?” “This is Colonel Pearson talking.” “Is it? That you, chief?” “What?” cried Nick delightedly. “Is that you, Chick?” “Yes.” “Good! Where are you?” “In your room at the hotel. This wireless telephone of yours came, and I am using it. Good thing you showed me how it works. Say, chief, are you all right?”