Chick could climb like a monkey, and in a remarkably short space of time he was by the side of his chief. The two shook hands with the silent earnestness of men who had often been in peril together, and who knew that each could depend on the other. “Well?” asked Nick. “How are things at Crownledge?” “Marcos is there.” “Is he? I’m sorry to hear that,” returned Nick. “That’s where these fellows are liable to look for him. I didn’t think he’d venture there.” “That’s all right,” was Chick’s confident rejoinder. “He’s got enough people there to hold off any kind of gang. Besides, he isn’t going to stay. He’ll be gone before daylight. Probably he is away now.” “I hope he is. It has been a narrow tug for all of us. How did you get up here so quickly, and who told you I was here?” “That peach, Miss Solado. She was with Marcos, and she told me in a few minutes all that had happened up here.” “Well?” “I borrowed the launch from her, and, believe me, I made that gas barge hustle up the river. I got everything out of her that was in her engine.” “I didn’t hear it. How was that?” asked Nick, in a slightly mystified tone. “That was easy,” grinned Chick. “I had a skiff trailing behind, and when I got pretty close to the yacht, but still too far away for the launch to be heard plainly, I tied up and came on with the oars. They’re muffled, so you did not hear even them.” “We can get to the launch without trouble, I suppose?” “Unless the bottom of the skiff falls out,” returned Chick, with a laugh. “Now, what have we to do?” “Just this, Chick,” answered Nick Carter sternly: “I am going to take those two rascals off the yacht and hold them till I know Marcos is out of the country. You and I have to do it now.” The difficulty of this enterprise seemed not to strike Chick. He merely answered “All right!” and looked at his chief for further instructions. CHAPTER XI. WHAT THEY ALL SAY. “The crew are all forward,” explained Nick, in low tones, as the two kept well in the shadow of the cabin, where they could look along the deck. “It won’t be difficult if we are careful. I know the layout of this yacht very well. It belongs to Judge Millings, and it has been leased to these people for two months.” “I didn’t know that,” admitted Chick. “You could have found it out if you had made inquiries, as I did,” answered Nick quietly. “We can get to the cabins of these two men and open them very easily, without disturbing anybody else. We’ll have to gag and bind them. But we can tackle each one separately, so it won’t be hard to do.” “That sounds all right. Are we to begin the job now?” “Yes. There is nothing to wait for. We’ll get Solado first, because his stateroom is nearest to the companion-way.” Nick led the way to a corridor on the other side of the boat from the one that communicated with the cabin he had occupied, and which he had locked when he came out, in case there should be any one prying about. “Here’s the door, Chick. I’ll open it.”