“If there were any mistake, and he really represented the police, he would have me arrested----” “My dear Clayton!” interrupted Nick. “Why will you harp on that? You and I both know that we had him a prisoner on this ship, after taking the suit case away from him in the engine room. Then he managed to get free and dive overboard.” “I suppose it was this Boris who fell or jumped off the ship in the early morning,” murmured Paul. “Beyond all question. He swam to shore, got a new suit of clothes, altered the look of his face, and came back, in the guise of a detective, to steal the jewelry for the second time. There is only one man I know of who could carry out such a trick successfully, and that is the man I am going to find--John Garrison Rayne--the fellow you know as James Boris.” “Can I go with you? Or shall I have to stay here?” asked Clayton. “Remember, you found me a handcuffed prisoner, and the captain promised that I should not get away.” “I’ll attend to that,” replied Nick briefly. “Come with me.” The sailor who had been at the door of the cabin was on the companionway, talking to the two men at the top, one of whom was Clegg, the boatswain. He was telling of what had happened in Paul Clayton’s stateroom. “I don’t know anything about it,” rumbled Clegg. “But there’s Captain Lawton. We can ask him.” It was at this moment that Nick Carter pushed Clayton ahead of him up the stairs, and led him to the deck. Clegg stepped aside involuntarily before Nick Carter’s masterful manner, although not without glancing at the captain, to see what he would do in such a strange situation. “Is the boat ready?” asked Nick, stepping up to Lawton. “I’ll have it ready in a brace of shakes.” The captain turned to give an order to Clegg, who passed it forward, and the activity of half a dozen sailors gave promise that the boat would be at the ladder in a few moments. “I am going ashore--with Mr.--er--Miles,” announced Nick carelessly. “Well, I don’t know about that,” hesitated the captain. “I don’t feel as if this passenger ought to go without something more being known about him. I believe you are really Nicholas Carter, and that the other detective is a fraud. Still, if he should turn out to be the genuine article, where would I be?” “He is not the genuine article,” returned Nick. “So you need not speculate on that.” “But, if he _should_ be, you see, I’d be on the rocks--piled up, with my back broke and out of the game for good.” Captain Lawton shook his head with an air of ponderous wisdom that tried Nick Carter’s patience sorely. “You have my word that he’s a fraud,” the detective reminded him sternly. “I thought that would be enough. If you like, I’ll sign a paper taking all the responsibility. Only, let’s have that boat!” “Well, all right! Let it go at that!” grumbled the captain; “I guess I’m going to get the worst of it. I always do. Boat, there!”