The idea was no sooner conceived than it was carried out. But Matt was destined to disappointment. He was informed by "central" that the wire was busy, and, as it was already five minutes of ten, he had no time to wait.
Throwing the receiver back on the hooks, he left the hotel and ran toward the Fruit Company's dock. The warning bell of the _Santa Maria_ was ringing, and deck hands were preparing to haul in the gang plank as he rushed across it.
"Py chiminy, aber dot vas some glose connections!" cried Carl, who, with Dick, was waiting and watching for Matt.
"A miss is as good as a mile," Matt replied. "Have you seen Miss Harris?"
"We'll stow the luggage somewhere," went on Matt, "and then go forward ourselves and see the boat get away."
The baggage was piled in the cabin, and when the three boys reappeared and made their way toward the forward part of the main deck the _Santa Maria_ was shivering from stem to stern under the impetus of her powerful engines and drawing away from the dock and into the channel.
There were a dozen or more people on the dock waving hats and handkerchiefs, while a dozen or more were clustered at the steamer's rail returning the parting salutes.
"Dere iss nopody dere to vave goot-py ad us," remarked Carl, "not efen Downsent!"
"We certainly couldn't expect Townsend, Carl," said Matt. "He has other matters to occupy his mind, I suppose."
"I shouldn't think he'd be too busy to come down and see his niece off on her voyage," put in Dick. "Still, as you say, mate, he may be----"
Dick suddenly broke off his words. His eyes had been roving over the passengers along the rail.
"Sink me!" he exclaimed, dropping a quick hand on Matt's arm. "Look over there--to the left."
Matt looked, and immediately experienced the same surprise that had laid hold of his chum.
The burly form of Captain Sixty was in plain view, and at the captain's elbow, and talking with him, was Miss Harris!
Motor Matt took Dick and Carl each by one arm and led them back into the cabin.
"We'd better talk a little, pards," said Matt, with a worried look.
He had not seen Captain Sixty, not having been in the office of the Snug Harbor Hotel at the time Dick and Matt had met Sixty and exchanged telegrams with him.