They hurried over to the railway station, Beveridge walking with Dick, Wilson with Harper. In the minute or two that they had to wait, Beveridge scrawled the following message, and had it put promptly on the wire:-- “To Captain B. Sullivan, on board U.S. Revenue Cutter _Foote_, Milwaukee. “Am coming Milwaukee with two of our men. Third has stolen schooner and headed Lake Huron. Will be aboard for chase about midnight. Kindly have all ready. “Wm. Beveridge. “_To Operator_:--If not there, try Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Sturgeon Bay, and Marinette,--in order named. Beveridge. “RUSH!” CHAPTER IX--THE CHASE BEGINS--THURSDAY MORNING [Illustration: 0236] THE four men were in the smoking-car, spinning along toward Milwaukee. Beveridge handed Dick a cigar. Then, after a little:-- “Say, Smiley, I'm doing a rather odd thing with you.” “Are you?” “Yes--in taking you off here instead of having you locked right up in Chicago.” Dick waited. “You see, I have thought this business over pretty carefully; I have thought _you_ over pretty carefully--and I like you. Now I have been some time on this case, and I understand it, I think. I understand you, and McGlory, and Stenzenberger, and the lot of you. But there is one place where I'm still weak,--that is Spencer and his places up there in Lake Huron. That is the only thing we haven't run down. I could get it of course in time, but it _would_ take time, and that's just what I don't want to take now. I'm depending on you to set me right. Of course it's your privilege, if you want, to shut your mouth up tight. But I don't take you for that sort of a chap. I have a way of my own of going at these things. There are some of our men would bully you, but that isn't my way--not with you. I 'll tell you right here, that any help you can give me will be a mighty good thing for you in the long run.” “What do you expect me to tell you?” “You will know at the proper time. All I want to find out now is whether you are going to stand by me and help me through with it or not.” “Why, I will do what I can.” “What does that mean exactly?” “I will tell you all I know.” “All right, sir. Now we understand each other. And I 'll do what I can to make it easy for you.” “There's one thing--” “What is it?” “What are you going to do with us in Milwaukee?” “If we have to stop over night, why, we 'll go to a hotel.” “Not the jail, eh?” “No,”--Beveridge gave his prisoner a keen glance, then shook his head,--“no, that won't be necessary.”