In addition to this he had chartered a motor boat and made many excursions into the harbor, hovering around El Torro fortress, and making a careful, though futile, study of the exterior of that grim edifice. Although none of these efforts had as yet been productive of results, he was not discouraged. With characteristic patience and optimism he felt confident that sooner or later he would hit upon a solution of the big problem which confronted him. During this time he had held several consultations with his fair confederate, Virginia Throgmorton. The latter, who was fond of horseback riding, was in the habit of taking long rides daily out into the country. At her suggestion, the Camera Chap hired a mount, and went for frequent canters in the same direction. Thus they were able to meet and compare notes, safe from prying eyes and ears--or, at least, so they believed. But one afternoon, when Hawley galloped off into the outskirts of San Cristobal, to keep one of these trysts, Virginia met him with a troubled expression on her usually serene countenance. “This is the last time that we must meet here--or anywhere else, for that matter!” she declared firmly. “I’m afraid we’ve been inexcusably careless.” “Careless?” the Camera Chap repeated wonderingly. “My dear Miss Throgmorton, what’s the matter?” The girl turned in her saddle, and shot nervous glances about her in all directions. “We ought to have foreseen the folly of this,” she said severely. “We might have known that we couldn’t meet like this without being found out.” “You don’t mean to say that such a thing has happened?” exclaimed the Camera Chap. Virginia nodded gloomily. “My father was asking me about you this morning,” she announced. “He wanted to know how many times I had met you. He also evinced painful curiosity as to where I go, and whom I meet, when I take my daily canter. I could tell from his mode of questioning that he knows about these meetings.” “Who could have told him?” said the Camera Chap. “I have always been careful when coming out here to make sure that I was not shadowed.” “So have I,” returned the girl, with a rueful smile. “Nevertheless, we have evidently been spied upon. I have a shrewd suspicion that it was Mr. Gale who told my father. He and dad were talking very confidentially together as I came into the room this morning, and I’m almost positive that I heard your name mentioned.” Hawley frowned. “I guess that is very probable,” he said. “I’ve run into Gale quite often during the past few days, and I’ve had reason to believe that the encounters weren’t accidental--that he’s been paying me the compliment of watching me very closely. I hope he doesn’t suspect the reasons for our meeting, Miss Throgmorton. He’s the last man on earth that I would want to have know what I am doing here.”