Impulsively the boys clasped hands as they realized what the discovery meant. They had come upon the new hiding place of the wreckers, and the chances were good for capture if no alarm was given.  
Joe, perhaps, felt more elated than did Blake, though the latter was glad that his theory in regard to the direction taken by the men had proved correct.
 
But Joe felt that now he had a better chance to prove his father innocent of the charge made against him—that he was involved with the wreckers.
 
“We’ve got ’em!” he whispered.
 
“Yes—we’ve got ’em—to get!” agreed Blake. “No slip-up this time.”
 
In whispers they consulted, and to creep forward a short distance to make sure of their first that the men, whose voices they heard, were really the wreckers.
 
165“We want to be certain about it,” warned Blake, in a cautious whisper.
 
“That’s right,” agreed his chum. “Go ahead, and I’ll come after you.”
 
Cautiously they advanced until they were in a position to look forward and make out a number of men working on a sort of of rock that rose from the surface of the cliff.
 
“This is a better place, from their standpoint, than the other,” whispered Blake. “A light can be seen farther.”
 
“Yes, and they’re putting up the same lantern on a rock pile,” remarked Joe. Both lads recognized the they had seen before. The men were busily engaged in setting it in place, evidently working fast to make up for lost time.
 
“It’s the same gang,” observed Blake; “and they must know of some that is to pass here soon, or they wouldn’t be in such a hurry. Probably they count on the steersman mistaking this light for the one at Rockypoint, and in close here. Up at Rockypoint there is deep water close in shore, but it shoals very fast both ways, up or down the beach. So if a vessel saw a false light, and stood close in to get her bearings, she’d be on the rocks in no time.”
 
“That’s right,” agreed Joe. “She’d be and these fellows would get what they could out 166of her, caring nothing for the lives lost. Blake, we’ve got to stop ’em!”
 
“We sure have.”
 
“Not only to clear my father, but to save others,” went on Joe. “What’s best to be done?”
 
“Well, we can’t capture ’em by ourselves; that’s sure,” went on Blake, each lad speaking in a cautious whisper. “The best thing for us to do is to go back, I think, and tell Tom Cardiff. He’ll know what to do.”
 
“Maybe one of us had better stay here to keep watch. They may skip out.”
 
“No danger. They don’t know that we have followed ’em, or that we are here.”
 
“Then we’ll go back together.”
 
“Sure, and give the alarm. Then to make the capture, if we can.”
 
For a few minutes longer the eager boys looked on, unseen by the men whom they had trailed. The wreckers were busy putting up their lantern, and were making as much noise, talking and hammering on the apparatus, as though they were far removed from possible discovery.
 
“Well, we’d better be going,” suggested Blake, after a bit; and they made their departure without causing any suspicious sounds, so that the wreckers had no idea, as far as our heroes could , that they were being spied upon.
 
In order to save time, as soon as they got to the nearest small settlement, Joe and Blake hired a carriage, and drove to the lighthouse. As may well be imagined their report caused considerable excitement.
 
“We’ll get right after ’em!” cried Tom Cardiff. “I just got a telephone message from the secret service men that they are on their way here. They’ll arrive in about an hour. We were counting ............