“Now, what does all that mean?” said Patsy to himself. “The first two men were from his yacht. That’s clear. And Masson is going on a long cruise. That’s clear, too. But who was the other man, and what’s that about a funeral?” He stood thinking a little while, and then suddenly exclaimed: “Gee! what if it’s the funeral of that Miss Romney? Well, I’ll shadow him for a while if he comes out, for Masson’s going to stay in the club.” Shortly after the man who had entered with Masson came out, and leisurely walked off into the direction of Broadway, closely followed by Patsy. It soon became apparent that he had no particular business on hand, nor any special place to go to, but was lounging from saloon to saloon. “It’s eating up time for nothing following this chap,” said Patsy, to himself. “I’ll give him the drop, and start after the chief to find him.” Acting upon this thought, Patsy hurried to his chief’s residence, to find that Nick had just come in with Chick. He reported the conversation between Masson and the three men that he had overheard, to the great interest of the two elder detectives. When he was through, Nick said: “Masson has shipped off to Chicago the two men who were his instruments in the dog poisoning affair. Now he is going away for a long cruise himself.” “But, chief,” said Chick, eagerly; “how about that funeral? His going away seems to be tied up with that.” “I was coming to that,” said Nick, “and it is the most important thing. The undertaker, having been given full charge, had appointed to-morrow as the day of the funeral, but Mrs. Constant, having learned this, postponed the funeral another day, on the ground that it seemed like hurrying Ethel into the tomb to have the funeral so soon. “Now compare this fact with what Patsy overheard between Masson and that third man who came up, and we can conclude that the funeral Masson is interested in is that of Ethel Romney. “It appears, then, that Masson is determined to begin his cruise on the day of that funeral. Why?” “It is very strange,” said Chick, “and I take it we will have to find that out. It can’t be, chief, that it is to be explained on the simple ground that Masson wishes to attend that funeral?” “Dismiss that idea, Chick,” said Nick. “Masson will not attend in any event. No, we must look deeper than that for an explanation.” The three were silent a moment, each busy with his own thoughts, when Nick said: “This calls for action. We may be forced to show our hands before we are quite ready.” “We can hardly let Masson go out of sight,” said Chick. “And yet,” said Nick, “we have not enough basis on which to detain him. We have got to meet this another way. “The name of his yacht is the _Derelict_. When he is not aboard, it lies in the East River, off Twenty-third Street. Patsy, there is some work for you to do.”