“There’s some connection between this smuggling outfit and the house on the cliff,” declared Frank. “This man Snackley is mixed up in all this, I’m sure.” “Didn’t mother say he was related to Felix Polucca?” “Yes—and isn’t it likely that he inherited the Polucca farm after the old miser died? Perhaps that’s what encouraged him to move his smuggling operations here.” “Perhaps Snackley was one of the two men we saw at the farm.” “I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Frank. “But what I’m thinking of is this—where did these two motorboats come from that day Jones was shot? We didn’t see them out in the bay. They seemed to come right out from under the cliff.” “Do you mean you think there is a secret harbor in there?” “There might be. Look at it this way. Snackley was the man who “got” Jones that day, as he said. Snackley was related to Polucca, and may now own the farm. Snackley has been smuggling in Barmet Bay from some base that the government men have been unable to find. Perhaps that base is the Polucca farm.” “But it’s on top of the cliff!” “There may be a secret passage from the house to some hidden harbor at the foot of the cliff.” “Gosh, Frank, it sounds reasonable!” “And perhaps that explains why the kidnappers got away with Jones so quickly that day. If they left the Kane farmhouse just a little while before we did, we should have been able to get within sight of them, anyway. But we didn’t.” “You mean they turned in at the Polucca place?” “Why not? Probably Jones is hidden there right now. That is—if they haven’t killed him,” he added hesitatingly. “But what could have happened to dad?” “That’s what we’re going to find out. What do you say to asking Tony if his father will lend us his motorboat and let us investigate the foot of that cliff?” “What do you expect to find?” “We’ll find out if there’s any place where motorboats could be hidden. And if we get any information we can turn it over to the government officials and have the Polucca place raided. Then we’ll get some satisfaction out of it, anyway, and perhaps find out what happened to dad.” CHAPTER XIV PRIVATE PROPERTY The Hardy boys explained their plan to Tony Prito, who promised to ask his father about the motorboat provided they allowed him to go with them. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he said. “You let me come along on this trip with you and I’ll see that we get the boat.” “We wouldn’t go without you, Tony,” promised Frank. “I’ll have the boat to-morrow afternoon. Be at the boathouse.” Tony was as good as his word. When Frank and Joe appeared at the little boathouse, one of a long row of ramshackle buildings along the shore, next afternoon, they found Tony clad in a greasy suit of overalls, tinkering with the engine. He was of a mechanical turn of mind and could never see an engine of any kind without investigating its most intricate machinery.