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 the Nautilus, which now lay awash, canting over slightly. Of the three forms it was easy to distinguish that of Joe Flagg.

"What's their game now?" Dave asked, speaking in a low voice, as though afraid of being heard by those beneath, even at that distance. "A little midnight exploration party of some sort," Tempest replied. "We 've got Flagg guessing, and he wants to be sure how things stand. He's not getting much sleep, anyway, since we disturbed his operations. Look, they 're making a bee-line for our old tub, but what on earth they are after I cannot imagine, unless it is to make sure we are not on board."

"There is n't much there for them to steal," said the boy.

Tempest laughed softly.

"Flagg isn't that sort of a thief, lad," he observed. "It takes bigger things than what we have there to interest him. He is quite brainy, in a fashion. I guess they would tell us that in