time or another and that Snackley must have got the idea of using Barmet Bay for his smuggling operations at that time."
"Whew!" exclaimed Joe. "Now we're getting on the right track. Dad must have gone up to the house on the cliff to investigate."
"Why didn't we think of searching there before! Dad put two and two together and figured that there might be some connection between the queer things that happened at the Polucca place the day we visited it and the case of that fellow Jones whom we rescued. Then, when he learned that Snackley was related to Polucca, he was sure of it. It's as clear as daylight. But what on earth could have happened to him?"
"Let's go up to the Polucca place and find out."
But Mrs. Hardy interposed. Her lips were firm.
"Promise me you won't go alone."
"Why not, mother? We can look after ourselves."
"If anything has happened to your father, I don't want you to run the same risk."
"But we must go up there and look the place over again."
"Get some of the boys to go with you."
"I guess it would be safer," agreed Joe. "We can round up a bunch of the fellows and
