"All right; but I guess we'd better get behind those barrels, 'cause if
anybody should see me they'd think I ought to go back to the. office,
even if I have got half an hour off."

A convenient place for conversation was found behind some barrels,
where the two were almost completely screened from view, and then Joe
told the story; but not without many interruptions in the way of
exclamations of surprise, almost incredulity, from his brother
messenger. He concluded by telling the story of their meeting with
Master West, and his offer to take them to New York in his yacht.

"Was it Bart West that you met?" asked the boy.

"His name was Bartholomew."

" An' where is the boat? "

Joe explained, as well as he was able, the locality in which they had
seen the yacht, and the messenger said, quickly:

"Well, you don't want to have anything to do with that feller, 'cause
he's a reg'lar duffer. He's too lazy to work, an' he hangs 'round the
city like a loafer. That boat hain't his at all. I know who owns her.
Bart West hain't got money enough to buy one end of a punt. He
was goin'. to steal the yacht, that's what he was goin' to do, if he
was goin' to do anything, an' if you had gone off with him, you'd got
into a pile of trouble."

Quite naturally, both Joe and Ned were alarmed at the narrow escape
they had had, for