"Possibly," said Stratton, "possibly, but when you have a man to deal with, it is safer to appraise him as such and not as a saint. But, Captain, leaving Mrs. Kingsley out, there is some one I could put in charge of it—there at the ruin. He is familiar with the network of by-ways south and east to the Cascades; under pressure he can travel on his own trail. He could carry the stuff from the top of Duwamish Head by horse, directly to that lodge of mine up the Nisqually. The country there is so rough, so full of natural hiding-places, above all it is so far from the border, it could be cached indefinitely, until I was able to dispose of it in lots at Portland. Or, I had rather convey it in large amounts over the Pass to the Palouse wilderness, and board an east-bound train on the Columbia, somewhere, with a view to making a hunting trip to the Yellowstone. It could be easily forwarded in the camp outfit, and so on to Chicago—perhaps New York." "You seem to have it pretty well planned," said Kingsley dryly. Stratton met his look steadily. "I have," he answered. "Great Scott. Great Scott, it’s true, then. Forrest was right; Bates was right; you are connected with that ring." Stratton smiled. "I admit I once served an apprenticeship." "You once served an apprenticeship?" repeated Philip quickly. "You mean you are now able to conduct one of your own. And—you know a man who can take charge of the dope at that old hotel. See here, tell me this, have you tried the experiment there, already?" Stratton nodded his head. "Several times. I had to, Captain. It was my only way to make the final payments on my schooner; she cost me more than I expected; and I had to outfit her." "What I want to know is, did you smuggle any of the stuff over on my yacht?" Again Stratton nodded. "You see how well the scheme worked. You never suspected it." "I could inform on you," said Kingsley hotly. "I will do it, by George, the first time I see Bates." "No,"—Stratton watched his victim’s face,—"you will not, Captain, when you stop to think." "Why not?" "Because you yourself would be implicated." Instantly Kingsley was on his feet. His brilliant eyes flashed. But while he expressed his indignation Stratton remained in his lounging position, smiling, mocking, almost indifferent. "I would like to know, though," said Philip at last, with tempered heat, "just how you would settle the question of the purchase price at Victoria." Then Stratton rose and came over to the helm. "Leave that with me, Captain," he said. "Understand, all you’ve got to do is to run the _Phantom_; nothing else concerns you. And I promise to hurry the business through, and see you out of the hole, with firm ground to stand on, in one grand coup."