“Well, well, I don’t know what to do!  That girl is dear to my old heart, and I’d rather die than any harm should come to her; and again I don’t like to stand in her way; while according to this letter from the old woman, written nigh on to thirteen years ago, I’ve no right to let her pass from my possession.”

The mutterings of the old man were interrupted by a loud rap at his rickety door.

“Come in!” called the old smuggler.

The door opened, and a roughly dressed man strode into the cabin.

“Hello, Pearce!  I see you are here to meet me.”

“Yes, Mr. Garcia, I’m waiting for you.”

Mr. Garcia took a seat by the table opposite the old smuggler, and saw the latter crumple the letter, and put it in his pocket.

“Eh, old man, what’s that your hiding?”

“Nothing that will interest you, sir; it’s only an old letter from my dead wife, sent to me many years ago when she was visiting some of her friends over in Connecticut.”

“How about this Government officer who has been prowling around here?” was the next question which fell from Garcia’s lips.

“Well, that’s more than I can tell you, but he’ll be fixed to-night, whoever he is!  Yes, sir, he’ll not cause the lads any trouble, they’ve ‘tumbled’ to him! too soon.”

“They’ve tumbled, eh?”

“Yes; and they got up a false cruise to-night on purpose to carry him out to sea.”

“How was it the boys chanced to ‘drop’ to him?”

“Renie did the business.”

“Renie did the business?” ejaculated the man.

“Yes, sir; she went through him.  She is a wonderful girl, she is, but I don’t think she really meant to give the fellow away, but we caught her in a trap.”

“You caught her in a trap?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Well, she was sending a message to warn the detective of his danger, and the letter was intercepted, and so we got into the whole business.  I tell you the fellows were mad, and had it been anybody but Renie they’d never have sent another message.”

“Does Renie know her letter was intercepted?”

“I don’t think she does.”

“Why would she want to give the Government officer the ’tip’?”

“No telling about these women, sir, no telling about them; you see this man is a good-looking chap, a very handsome fellow, and he’s a daring man, too, and a splendid sailor!  It’s a pity he wasn’t one of the crew.  I tell you he saved the lives of all the lads one night off the coast; but he’s doomed!  He’ll never save nobody again!”

“Has he been making love to the girl?”

“No; I reckon he’s never seen her, but she’s seen him; you see Renie goes under cover sometimes, and she wanders along the shore for hours, and one night she came upon the detective when he was holding a parley with a pal from the city; the gal ‘laid low’ and overheard all that was said, and at the same time she ‘nipped’ a letter which the man dropped from his jacket, and thus got down on the whole business; but somehow her heart went ag’in giving the man away, and she writes a letter ready to deliver to him; and by ginger, she mislaid her letter, and my nephew, a rattling little chap, ‘nipped’ it and gave it to the Cap, and the whole business was out!”