“Yacht Ahoy!” came a hail from the wharf.

“Answer him, Tom, you’re nearest the door,” suggested Jack.

“Ahoy there, what do you want?” called Tom.

“Is that the Fortuna?” queried a heavy voice.

“Yes, sir,” answered Tom.  “What do you want?”

“I’ll come aboard, if you please!” replied the stranger.

“Better wait a minute until we can size you up,” cried Jack, stepping into the pilot house and switching on the searchlight, which he trained upon the man standing on the wharf.  “We’re not unprepared for callers and we want to make sure, you know.  What do you want?”

“I guess when you see this,” laughed the man, exhibiting a star under his coat, “you won’t object to my coming aboard.  I am sorry to say,” he continued in a tone of mock seriousness, “I am a United States Marshal.  May I come aboard now?”

“Yes, sir, you may,” declared Tom.  “But you must excuse us for our precaution.  We’ve been through some trying experiences and it’s no wonder we feel we must protect ourselves.”

“Got away from Pascagoula in a hurry, didn’t you?” smiled the stranger introducing himself as Roger Harrison.

“Yes, we did,” stated Jack, introducing the other boys.  “We got word from Doright, here, that our friends and our friends’ friend had been shanghaied aboard a schooner and so we went after them and got them, too,” he proudly stated.

“Well, boys, it seems to me it would have been real easy to stop and pay your shipyard charges when you were coming back.”

The boys all gasped.  In the excitement of rescuing their chums the matter of settling their bill at the shipyard had been crowded out of their minds.  All were amazed and regretful.

“What can we do?” questioned Jack.  “I’ll jump on a train and go right back there and pay them.  When is the next train?”

“Don’t be in a hurry.  Hear the rest,” said the Marshal.

“Is there anything worse?” wailed Jack.  “I feel real cheap.”

“Nothing that you can’t get out of, I guess,” replied Harrison.  “Those fellows were indignant when you slipped away so hurriedly and were about to telegraph Key West to look out for you when a man named Wyckoff approached and said you were headed for Biloxi.  They couldn’t believe it but he swore it was so.”

“And so you came down here to get us?” queried Jack.

“I’m stationed at Gulfport, a short distance west of here,” replied Harrison.  “They wired me there and wanted to libel your craft.  You know the United States protects merchants and workmen by seizing the vessel if their bills are not paid.”

“But we’ll pay it!” stoutly protested Jack.  “We have the money.”

“I haven’t the least doubt of it,” declared Harrison.  “It was only a matter of oversight under the exciting news you got.  But tell me,” he went on, “how did Wyckoff know you were headed for this place?  He seemed very positive about your destination.”