“I think so, sir.”

“Come on, then!” cried Tom.  “Sam, you pay the fellow, will you?”

“All right!” was the quick reply.  And then Tom and Dick hurried after Mr. Bronson, who was already entering the dock building.

Had they been alone the Rovers might have had some difficulty in gaining entrance to the dock; but the detective led the way, showing his badge; and soon the party found themselves at the gang-plank of the steamer.  Here Sam rejoined them.

From the purser they learned that Jesse Pelter had engaged stateroom Number 148.

“But I can’t say if he is aboard or not,” said the steamer official.  “You see, we are not to sail until nine o’clock to-morrow morning.  There was some talk of sailing this afternoon, but we have been delayed.  Do you want me to send to the stateroom for you?”

“Oh, no, we’ll go there ourselves,” returned the detective, quickly.  “I don’t want to alarm him if I can help it.”

“I guess you are after him,” said the purser, grimly.

“We certainly are!” answered Tom.

It was an easy matter to locate stateroom Number 148, which was on the main deck forward.  The entrance was in a narrow passageway, and close at hand was a door opening on a narrow walkway between the staterooms and the ship’s rail.

“Wait a moment,” whispered the detective, and stepped outside.  He was now close to a shuttered window of the stateroom engaged by Jesse Pelter.

From the room came a murmur of voices, and without speaking further the detective motioned for the Rover boys to join him beside the window.  Although the slatted shutter was up, evidently the glass of the window had been let down its full length, for those outside could hear what was said within with ease.

“That proposition is all right as far as it goes,” they heard, in Jesse Pelter’s voice.  “But I can’t see, Haywood, where you ought to have fifty per cent. of the returns.”

“I do!” answered somebody else—­ evidently the man called Haywood.  “I’m running all the risk, it seems to me.”

“Not so very much of a risk,” went on Jesse Pelter.  “Sixty thousand dollars’ worth of those bonds are unregistered.”

“All very true.  But for all you know the numbers may be advertised as stolen.  If so, I may get pinched when I offer them.”

“Not if you are careful and work the thing in the right kind of a way,” pursued the former broker.

“Well, I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” returned Haywood.  “I’ll take a third and not a dollar less.  Now let us go over the bonds and check them up,” he continued.  And then followed a rustling of numerous papers.

“Don’t you think we have heard enough?” whispered Dick, to the detective.

“All that is necessary, Mr. Rover,” was the answer.  “Stand close by me,” the detective continued, “and be prepared to rush them the instant the door is opened.”