"Wha-a-a-at!" gasps Barney, starin' at him. "You--you don't mean that--that--" "Precisely," says Old Hickory. "We are the crack-brained New Yorkers you are so anxious to see." Well, when he recovers his breath he does his best to square himself. He apologizes four different ways, gettin' in deeper with every turn, until finally he edges towards the stairs and makes his escape. "At least," remarks Old Hickory, "I suppose it is something to provide a source of innocent merriment. I trust we are not overlooking anyone who might wish to be amused." Before the evenin' was over he had his answer. About eight-thirty out comes a fast motor-boat and ties up alongside without askin' leave. Reporters, two of 'em. They climbs up, grinnin' and amiable, specially the fat one in the tight-fittin' Palm Beach suit. They wanted to know when we was goin' to start digging and if we'd mind their bringin' out a movie machine, so one of 'em could get a few hundred feet of film for a picture news service that he represented. "It ought to be great stuff," says Fatty. "Young man," says Old Hickory, breathin' hard and talkin' through his teeth, "have you any idea what a splash you'd make if you were dropped overboard?" "Oh, come, guv'nor," protests Fatty; "we only want to--" About then, though, he decides to make a scramble for his boat and the interview was off. Old Hickory stands glarin' after the pair until they're out of sight. Then he chuckles unpleasant. "For a private, not to say secret, enterprise," says he, "it occurs to me that ours is rather well advertised. What next, I wonder?" "There's a big boat headed this way on the other side," says I. "Seems to me I hear a band, too." "Excursionists!" says Auntie. "Do you suppose they would have the impudence?" "Looks like a moonlight round trip, with the _Agnes_ as the object of interest," says I. "Yep! They've got the searchlight on us." "This is insufferable!" says Auntie, and beats it below, to lock herself in her stateroom. "Gr-r-r-r!" remarks Old Hickory, and follows suit. We never did trace out who had done such thorough press work for us; but I have my suspicions it was the chief steward, who went ashore reg'lar every morning after milk and cream. But the round-trippers surely was well posted. We could hear 'em talkin' us over, shoutin' their comments above the rumble of the engine. Vee and I didn't want to miss any of it, so we hikes up on the bridge and camps behind the canvas spray shield. Captain Lennon come up, too, sort of standin' guard. It was 'most like bein' under fire in the trenches. "That's her--the _Agnes_ of New York!" we heard 'em sing out. "My, what a perfectly swell yacht, Minnie! Ain't they the boobs, though? Hey, Sam, why dontcher ask them squirrels can they make a noise like a nut? Huntin' pirate gold, are they? Who's been kiddin' 'em that way?"