"Not much!" exclaimed Frank. "The chances are the plans are all off, for the time being. That white man will suspect we were spying on him, and when they ran back that time, I guess it was to signal to the boat not to land. We must have given them quite a scare."
"But what was the auto for?" asked Ned, who liked to go into details, and who always wanted to know the why and wherefore of things.
"I guess it was to take the Chinese to some place where they could stay until it was safe to venture out," said Frank. "Sometimes they have to jump around pretty lively, I imagine, especially if the government detectives get after them."
"Perhaps we'd better go and tell Captain Wiggs what we have discovered," suggested Fenn. "He may want to notify the authorities."
As the boys started to leave the little gully where the clothing was hidden, they heard a noise behind them. Turning quickly they saw the white man and Chinese, as they broke through the underbrush.
"They're after us!" exclaimed Fenn in a hoarse whisper.
But this time it proved to be the other way about. The two mysterious men, at the sight of the boys, dived back into the woods again, and showed no desire to come to closer acquaintance with them. Instead of taking after the four chums, the men acted as though they feared pursuit.
"They're running away from us!" exclaimed Frank. "I guess we haven't anything to fear from them."
Suddenly, through the forest, there sounded a shrill steam whistle.
"Captain Wiggs, signalling to us," replied Frank. "I guess we've stayed in the woods too long. Come on."
"Maybe it's the smugglers' boat," suggested Fenn.
"I guess not," Frank remarked. "They've been signalled to keep off. That was the _Modoc's_ whistle. I recognized it."
Frank's words proved correct, for, when the boys reached the shore, they again heard the signal, and saw steam coming from the whistle pipe of the vessel on which they were cruising.
"Look there!" exclaimed Frank, pointing off to the left. The boys glanced in the direction, and saw a boat. From the funnels black smoke was pouring, as if every effort was being made to get up steam. "That's the smugglers' craft, very likely," the lad went on. "She's making fast time away from here."