"From what Rufus said. You see, Rufus isn't more than half or three quarters witted, and he feels that he hasn't been treated by this man as he ought to have been. So he wrote those letters to get even, as he said, with the smuggler, and then as nothing was done about them he felt just as much provoked at Mr. Button as he had at the smuggler himself. So he has been first on one side and then on the other." "Whose side is he on now?" asked Grant. "Just at the present time he's on the smuggler's side. But he was so anxious to talk all the while that we think he let out more than he knew. Among other things he told us why the smuggler keeps that big dog that we saw the other night. It seems there are three of those dogs and at night two of them guard the barn and the other is taken inside the house to protect that place. When we asked Rufus why they had to have two dogs around the barn he said that if we knew what was in the barn we wouldn't ask any such foolish questions as that. Putting that together with some other things he said, I haven't any doubt that whatever it is that Mr. Halsey deals in it is something that is very valuable and isn't very large and can be easily carried." "What do you suppose it is?" inquired Grant. "That sounds like money." "Men don't smuggle money," sniffed Fred scornfully. "When we get back to Mackinac I'm going to tell Mr. Button, if he's there, all about it and ask him what he thinks. And if he goes over to Cockburn Island and makes a search I want to go with him." "But he can't make a search on Cockburn Island," said George positively. "That's in Canada. An American officer can't go over there and make searches." "Not unless he gets a Canadian officer to go with him," retorted Fred. "At all events when we get back to Mackinac we'll find out what can be done and then we'll just go ahead." CHAPTER XXIV TWO BOATS It was late when the party at last arrived at Mackinac Island. "It's twenty-five minutes past two," said Grant sleepily as he looked at his watch after the party had landed at the dock. "We've had so much excitement and so many things to do in the last two or three days that I think I shall sleep right through the bed," said John. The weary boys almost threatened to fulfill the prophecy of John. In spite of the excitement through which they had passed they were speedily asleep and it was late the following morning before any one arose. "What's up to-day?" called Fred as he opened the door between the rooms which the four boys occupied. "Not very much," responded George, who was already dressed and had been down in the office of the hotel. "I have learned one thing though." "Good for you," laughed Grant. "You couldn't learn many less, that's one thing sure." "I have learned that Mr. Button has gone," declared George, ignoring the bantering of his companion. "Gone?" demanded Grant. "What do you mean?" "Just what I say."