“I said nothing about Phillips and Mendoza,” he shouted, shaking his fist in the millionaire’s face. “I never saw either one of them!” Notwithstanding the emphatic denial of the captain, Havens knew then where to look for accessories after the fact in the case of the two murderers. There was no longer any doubt as to the interest which had connived at his abduction. The clock on the cabin wall denoted the hour of three, and Havens knew that whatever was done must be done at once. With the morning others would undoubtedly make their appearance on board the _Nancy_, and then escape would be practically impossible. The captain sat at the table for some moments, now, in gloomy silence, occasionally lifting a pair of bloodshot eyes to the face of his captive. At last, however, the millionaire’s opportunity came. DeMott, swinging sullenly about in his swivel chair, brought his broad back against the edge of the table, on the other side of which Havens sat. Havens lifted suddenly in his chair, seized the brawny neck with both muscular hands and drew the fellow back upon the table. The furniture was old and creaky, but it held under the added weight. DeMott naturally threw his great hands to his throat to remove the pressure which was shutting the air out of his lungs, but Havens held fast. The man struggled fiercely, desperately, but the nervous fingers never left his throat. Finally the captain managed to throw himself to the floor, and then he almost succeeded in gripping the throat of his opponent. But Havens was an athlete, and an expert at the wrestling game, so the fellow’s effort failed of success. After what seemed to the millionaire to be an infinite number of hours, DeMott lay unconscious on the cabin floor. Possessing himself of one of the fallen man’s automatic revolvers, Havens looked about for the key to the cabin hatch. It was not in the captain’s pocket, but he found it in a drawer of the desk. When he opened the hatch there was a pearly light in the east, and already the river was astir with moving craft. After a moment’s thought, he got softly into the water and moved toward the pier. He heard a shout and saw a police boat moving toward him. Uttering a cry for assistance, he remained stationary until he was picked up by the guardians of the river. Very fortunately the man in charge of the squad was an intelligent and observing officer of long experience in river work. He knew the shady reputation of the _Nancy_, and remembered, also, that her captain was in great demand at Sing Sing, from which place he had taken his departure without the formality of a permit. This being the case, Havens had little difficulty in explaining the situation. He was permitted to depart after disclosing his identity.