Before she got in altogether, she stopped, for she was hardly manageable at intervals, and a motor boat put out from the shore and hailed her. In the boat were Nick Carter and his two assistants, with Captain Douglas and Paul Clayton. The police uniform of Douglas was enough to make the captain of the steamer lower a sea ladder right away. He might not have done it for one in citizen’s clothes--which was the reason Nick Carter had insisted on Douglas putting on his blue and brass, gold badge and all, to impress the commander. Nick wasted no time when once he got on deck. Taking the skipper aside, he asked if Jabez Portersham was aboard. “You bet he is. Of course, he is acting governor of Porto Rico, and I couldn’t help taking him as a passenger, even though it made us nearly half an hour late in getting away. I believe he’s hoodooed us, too, for I never had my machinery break down before. We’d had our engines inspected, and there was no need for them to throw off. Yet, here’s our sta’boa’d engine gone so far it’ll be only good for the junk pile, and----” “Where’s Mr. Portersham’s cabin?” interrupted Nick, when he saw that the irate captain was likely to keep on airing his woes indefinitely. “Can we see him?” The skipper glanced at Douglas inquiringly. An almost imperceptible nod reassured him, and he pointed to a doorway which led to the deck cabins--the most expensive on the vessel. “Look out, chief!” whispered Patsy. “He may be waiting for us. You don’t want to run right into a gun before you know it.” “I don’t think he would dare to shoot just now,” smiled Nick. “When he is cornered, Rayne knows enough to give in. He depends on his cunning to escape later.” “That may be all so,” admitted Patsy grudgingly. “But you’d better let me go first. If he plugs me, it won’t matter, because I ain’t of any importance. It’s different with you. If he got you, where would we find another to take your place. So----” Patsy was surging ahead, to go into the narrow corridor, without waiting for permission. Nick caught him by the shoulder and swung him aside, with playful sternness. “You rat!” he laughed. “Get out! I’m going in myself. You and Chick keep watch on deck. You never know what Rayne will do. Get out of the way!” The detective had got into the corridor, and had his eye on the door of the stateroom that had been pointed out to him as Portersham’s, when he was startled by a loud shout from Patsy, echoed by Chick and Paul Clayton. He understood at once that the disturbance had been caused by some act of Rayne’s, but he did not know what it was. It would not be safe for him to go out of the corridor now, leaving a free route for Rayne to liberty. “They may have seen him at a window,” he muttered. “Anyhow, he can’t get away so long as we have him on the ship.” The door of the stateroom was locked. But Nick Carter had anticipated that, and already had his jackknife in his hand.