aking money from you and I told you
not to be tipping the crew. What have you to say?"

"He was to give me ten pound--"

"Shut up!" roared Harris to Petrak.

"What have I to say?" I gasped, astounded at the turn of affairs and
hardly able to believe what I heard from Petrak. "I know nothing about
it! The man must be crazy!"

"I am not so sure of that," retorted Riggs. "I must confess, Mr.
Trenholm, that I was somewhat surprised to find that you carried two
pistols, and you must admit that you brought this man on board with you.
You seem to know him."

"Know him! The little rat has been following me about Manila all day! I
thought I was to be rid of him until you took him as a member of the
crew--"

"Ten pound I was to get for a killin' of that chap there," shrieked
Petrak. "That's what he was passing me the silver for this day, sir.
They'll hang me now--they'll hang me!"

"It looks very awkward for you, Mr. Trenholm," said Meeker, sadly.

I was about to denounce the missionary and tell him how I had seen him
and Petrak together much in Manila, but I was so angry for a minute that
I thought it better to hold myself in check for the time.

I stood before them for a few seconds, wondering what I should do, and
then my rage got possession of me, and I reached for a pistol, intending
to hold Meeker under the muzzle of it and make him confess his true
character and admit that Petrak was his friend rather than mine.

As I threw my hand back, my wrist was seized and I turned to see Rajah
behind me, holding my arm in a firm grip. He menaced me with his kris
and grinned calmly.

"My dear Mr. Trenholm," said Meeker, smiling blandly. "One crime should
serve your purpose for this evening, it seems to me."

Captain Riggs stepped up and relieved me of my pistols, and I knew that I
had made a fool of myself by attempting to draw the weapon.

"I am very sorry about this, Mr. Trenholm," said the captain.

CHAPTER VII

I TURN SPY MYSELF

Meeker stood with folded arms and grinned at me as he saw my pistols
taken by the captain; and for the first time since I had seen him he
dropped his sanctimonious pose and looked anything but the decrepit old
missionary which he had always seemed. His shoulders were squared and his
head thrown back, and there was mockery in his eyes.

But it was not so much his insolent and triumphant look which took my
attention as the manner in which he stood upon the heaving deck of the
s