“I’ll go ahead, and call on him to surrender, while you point the gun at his head. That will bring him to terms,” said Ford. And he jumped aboard Carney’s sloop. “Hullo, Carney!” he called out. There was a second of silence, and then Andy Carney’s face appeared at the entrance to the cuddy. “What do you want?” he demanded, with an ugly look on his face. “We want you,” replied my helper. “Come out of that at once!” “I’ll come out when I please,” was the sullen response. “No, you won’t; you’ll come out now.” “Who made you boss over me?” demanded the fisherman. “Nobody; but you’ve got to come. Do you see that?” And he pointed to the gun, which I held to my shoulder. Carney looked at the weapon, and turned pale. “Put that down!” he cried. “Not a bit of it,” I returned. “You have got to do as Ford says. I give you two minutes in which to make up your mind.” “I won’t come.” “I think you will.” And I moved over to where I could get a better range at his head. He ducked, and then came out slowly, and faced Ford. “If you were alone I would soon do you up,” he hissed. “But I am not alone,” laughed my helper. “Hold out your hands.” “What for?” “I’m going to bind them.” “Do as Ford says,” I put in. “We mean business, Carney.” The fisherman hesitated for a moment, and then held out his hands. Ford caught up a bit of rope, and soon had the wrists crossed and tightly bound. “Now watch him, Rube, while I shove the boat out.” “What are you going to do with me?” asked Carney anxiously. “Take you to Bend Center.” “What for?” “You’ll see fast enough.” In a moment Ford had the sloop afloat; and with the three of us on board he ran up the mainsail, steered out of the inlet, and down the lake. “What have you done with the things you stole?” I asked, as I sat down to watch our prisoner. “Didn’t steal anything,” replied Carney sullenly. “So you expect to deny it?” I went on. He would not answer, and I did not question him farther. I wished to examine the cuddy of the sloop, but could get no chance to do so, for Ford was busy sailing the craft, and I thought it would not be safe to leave Carney unwatched even for a moment. It did not take us long to reach the wharf at the Point. Here a small crowd soon surrounded us; for the report of the robbery had made a good many men suspend work and keep a lookout for the robbers. Ford marched Carney up to Squire Slocum’s office. I lingered behind to make an examination of the cuddy. It was not long before I found all the articles that had belonged to the mill stored in the forward hold. I also found Mr. Norton’s valise; but it had been broken open, and was empty. This last discovery filled me with dismay, for I had counted on the contents of the valise clearing up part of the mystery surrounding the man who had treated me so harshly. Whether Carney had thrown the letters away or hidden them I could not tell.