those messages came from."

"He was on an island, was he?" asked Hal.

"Sure, or on a boat," was the reply. "He could not have been on the
mainland. We were careful and could not have been more than a mile off in
our reckoning. All three of us hit it the same."

"Where was the fellow who tried to head us off?" asked Hal.

"When?"

"At any time."

"We located him at various points along the river. No doubt he was on a
boat up to the very last when the two were very near together."

"Where was the island operator when he sent his last message? Did you get
the one in which he confessed the affair was a hoax?"

"Yes. But he did not send that message. It was sent by the other fellow."

"How do you know?"

"That was plain. Did you not notice his peculiar manner of sending? All
three of us noticed that."

"Did you pick up any more from them since then?"

"Not a dot."