A little boat had shot out from the docks, manned by a couple of Arabs.  They could see the Professor seated in the stern.  He was poring over a small document which he held in his hand.  He waved to them excitedly.

“He’s got news!” Quest muttered.

With much shouting the boat was brought to the side of the barge.  The Professor was hauled up.  He stumbled blindly across towards the gangway and came up the steps with amazing speed.  He came straight to Quest and Lenora and gripped the former by the arm.

“Look!” he cried.  “Look!”

He held out a card.  Quest read it aloud:—­

    “There is not one amongst you with the wit of a Mongar child. 
    Good-bye!”

    “THE HANDS!”

“Where did you get it?” Quest demanded.

“That’s the point—­the whole point!” the Professor exclaimed excitedly.  “He’s done us!  He’s landed!  That paper was pushed into my hand by a tall Arab, who mumbled something and hurried off across the docks.  On the landing-stage, mind!”

The Captain came and put his head out of the door.

“Mr. Quest,” he said, “can you spare me a moment?  You can all come, if you like.”

They moved up towards him.  The Captain closed the door of his cabin.  He pointed to a carpet-sweeper which lay against the wall.

“Look at that,” he invited.

They lifted the top.  Inside were several sandwiches and a small can of tea.

“What on earth is this?” Quest demanded.

The Captain, without a word, led them into his inner room.  A huge lounge stood in one corner.  He lifted the valance.  Underneath were some crumbs.

“You see,” he pointed out, “there’s room there for a man to have hidden, especially if he could crawl out on deck at night.  I couldn’t make out why the dickens Brown was always sweeping out my room, and I took up this thing a little time ago and looked at it.  This is what I found.”

“Where’s Brown?” Quest asked quickly.

“I rang down for the chief steward,” the Captain continued, “and ordered Brown to be sent up at once.  The chief steward came himself instead.  It seems Brown went off without his wages but with a huge parcel of bedding, on the first barge this morning, before any one was about.”

Quest groaned as he turned away.

“Captain,” he declared, “I am ashamed.  He has been here all the time and we’ve let him slip through our fingers.  Girls,” he went on briskly, turning towards Laura, who had just come up, “India’s off.  We’ll catch this barge, if there’s time.  Our luggage can be put on shore when the boat docks.”

The Captain walked gloomily with them to the gangway.

“I shall miss you all,” he told Laura.

She laughed in his face.

“If you ask me, I think you’ll be glad to be rid of us.”

“Not of you, Miss Laura,” he insisted.

She made a little grimace.