“Were you on the track of any of the crew to-day?”

“They were around the village.”

“Did they drop anything?”

“Not a word.”

The party were soon landed on the island.  Taylor did not accompany them, as the detective did not desire to involve his confederate in any future trouble.

The party were marched toward the rendezvous, and had gone but a short distance when the detective, in a low tone, ordered a halt.  He had discovered one of the smuggler sentinels, toward whom he advanced.

The man commanded our hero to halt.

The detective came to a halt, and said: 

“What do you want?”

“Where do you go?”

“Is there a war round here, that you send out sentinels to stop quiet people?”

“Who are you and where do you go?”

“That’s none of your business!”

“I give you two minutes to answer.”

“Only two minutes?”

“One!” called the man.

“You’re crazy!” said the detective.

“Two!” called the man.

The detective uttered a signal-whistle call, and seven or eight men sprung forward.

The sentinel stood paralyzed.

“Why don’t you call three?” demanded Vance.

The man made no reply.

“I had an idea that war had been declared, so I brought my troop this way.”

The man made a movement as though about to run away, when Vance said: 

“Don’t move, my friend, or you will be dropped.”

The detective advanced toward the fellow, who saw at once that resistance was in vain.

The man was disarmed and a pair of handcuffs were slipped on his wrists.

“The jig’s up,” muttered the smuggler.

“Yes, my friend, the jig is up.”

The party moved on and soon came in sight of the smugglers, who were running out goods to be put on board of the “Nancy.”

The detective advanced straight into their midst.

The smugglers were taken all aback, and some of them started to move away, when the detective called out: 

“The first man that moves will be shot down!”

The men did not move.

If there had been under a leader they might have shown fight, but as they did not know exactly what force had been brought against them, they were afraid to open a scrimmage.

The Government attorney at a signal stepped forward, and announced that all the men were prisoners to the United States Government, and the wholesale handcuffing of the crew of the “Nancy” followed.

The men did not offer any resistance, but submitted like lambs.

A boat load of men pulled out and took possession of the “Nancy,” and the work of Vance in that direction was at an end.

We will not dwell upon the mere formal movements that followed the “closing-in” on the smugglers.  A guard was placed over the warehouse, a guard remained on the “Nancy,” and, three hours later, the detective and the district attorney were returning to New York on a special train.