He touched his partner on the arm and pointed at her.

“See there!” he exclaimed.  “What can she be up to?”

“We’d better keep an eye on her, Harry,” returned the old detective, after a careful survey.  “It looks to me as if she were up to some trick.  She wouldn’t be watching those inspectors’ departure that way unless it was of vital importance to her.”

“But surely she can’t be so silly as to think there are no officers left here.  Everyone knows that a couple remain constantly on the watch in their office at the entrance to the dock.”

“Ha!  What’s that?  She’s waving her handkerchief to that man who is coming out on the pier from West street.”

Young King Brady gazed keenly at the person in question and suddenly recognizing him he exclaimed in excited tones: 

“Why, it’s Paul La Croix, the diamond smuggler!”

“So it is, by thunder!”

“And this beautiful girl must be his daughter, for she greatly resembles him.”

“Harry, I believe that pair are up to some crooked work!”

“We can find out by watching them.”

La Croix now went aboard the steamer and joined the girl in the gangway.

CHAPTER III.

Caught in an elevator.

The Bradys felt convinced that the smuggler and his daughter were working some scheme to take some valuables ashore, duty free.

Closely watching the pair they saw them enter the cabin.

Following them in, the Bradys observed the pair gliding swiftly down a passage, out on which opened the doors of several staterooms.

La Croix and his daughter entered one of these rooms.

Rushing forward, the Bradys listened outside the partition and heard the man ask: 

“Did you geet eet, Clara?”

“Yes, papa,” replied the girl in a low, pleasant tone of voice.  “After I left you on Maiden Lane, I came right here and mingled with the throng waiting to meet the various passengers.  As soon as the gangplank was down, I slipped aboard and met the steward.  He had the parcel and gave it to me.”

“Open eet so we can distribute ze jewelry about our pairsons.  Zen we geet ze sings ashore ver’ easy, an’ no wong weel see ze package bulge out our clothing. Mon Dieu, but I vas ver’—­vot you call—­ze—­ze—­worried.”

The crackling of paper was heard.

For a few moments afterward there ensued a deep silence.

Old King Brady silently beckoned to Harry and they retreated a few paces.

“I’m going right in after La Croix,” he whispered.

“We’ve got him dead to rights,” replied the boy.

“Are you prepared for a fight?”

“Oh, yes.  I’ve got a powerful persuader in my hip pocket.”

“Then come on with me.”

He strode forward and pushed the stateroom door open.