At a point where the rocks seemed to have no opening he detected a motion toward the bay, and, knowing that the tide was now on the ebb, had the captain steer closer in to the rocks.

“You won’t run us onto them, sir?” whispered Storms.

“No, sir.  Look toward them.  Can’t you see that the tide is setting this way, that there is no eddy, but the regular flow of the tide?”

“By gravy! yes, I do,” exclaimed the captain hoarsely.  “Keep on, my boy, and I believe you’ll find the place.”

Jack watched the water, steered in closer, and suddenly, in rounding a blunt point, saw the entrance to the cove before him, and noticed that the tide was running steadily out of it toward the sea.

“Here we are, sir,” he said to the captain, and at once the other boat was signaled, and came up in a few moments.

Both proceeded up the creek side by side, and at length Jack saw the rock whence he had watched the men in the boat, and pointed it out to Percival, together with the one like a steeple, which had first called his attention to the place.

There was room for the two boats abreast, the passage being wide enough for a good-sized vessel to pass, and they kept on side by side, past the bend in the inlet, and then on and around another, suddenly coming in sight of a vessel at anchor.

“That’s the Circe, the steamer that was taken by the smugglers,” said the captain.  “I know her well, though I never sailed in her.  They’ve painted out her name, but that’s her, I’ll take my oath.”

At a signal from the captain the two boats dashed forward, and were alongside the steamer before any one on board knew of their approach.

The captain and mate, followed by four men from each boat, scrambled up the side like monkeys, and made a dash for the cabin as a man came out and demanded gruffly: 

“Hello! who are you, and what do you want?”

“That’s Davis,” said Jack.  “I know his voice.  We have made no mistake.”

“Of course not,” said Percival “Do you see that fender hanging over the side?  These fellows have forgotten it.  There is your name Circe, as plain as you please.”

“Yes, I see it.”

“There are lively times up there, Jack,” Dick continued.  “I’d like to join in it.”

“Let the men go instead,” laughed Jack.  “We can look after the boats.”

“All right.  Up with you, men!” and the invitation was accepted in a moment.

CHAPTER XIX

THE WAY OUT FOUND

The men scrambled out of the boats and on deck as soon as they had the boys’ permission, and for a minute or two there was the liveliest sort of fracas on the deck and in the cabin of the Circe, but this shortly ceased, and the mate coming to the side leaned over and said: 

“We’ve got ’em!  They put up a fight, but everything is dead against them.  This is our company’s vessel, and we’ve found enough unstamped stuff in the cabin to give ’em a good long rest in jail.  We’ve got Davis, the captain, but the other fellow is over on the other shore, unless he has made his escape by this time.  Come on board, boys.”