"
"It stated her cargo had been reshipped--reshipped from the Sargasso.
The entry may have been for the benefit of Davy Jones. Anyway, they are
methodical scoundrels."
The lads fell silent as the hugeness of this nefarious business
gradually dawned on them. For insurance swindlers and smugglers to work
on such a large scale, very probably the organization branched over the
whole civilized world. This vast shapeless vessel was a spider at the
center of a great network of criminality.
"Say, the Camorras are mere infants in crime compared to these men,"
shuddered Leonard. "I suppose they murder the crews--drown 'em."
"They would have to get 'em out of the way somehow."
"Then Malone and all the tug's crew are..."
There was an expressive silence.
After a while Caradoc whispered, "Well, shall we try to get aboard?"
"Wouldn't do any good."
"It won't do any good to stay here."
"No, we can't hide on the tug always, and we can't run her engines.
_You_ don't know anything about marine engines, do you, Caradoc?"
"Very little. I couldn't run one."
For several minutes, the two adventurers sat in silence, watching the
small erect figure of the guard pace and repace his short path.
Presently Madden said:
"I've thought of one chance, Caradoc, to escape being starved or
murdered.
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