, and
cheerfully invited the detective to come along to "Johnnie Hall's" and
play a game of billiards.

Mr. O'Donovan, little thinking that Otway had a purpose in view, took
the bait. The Consul knew Otway, and, in a measure, dreaded him, for the
supercargo's knowledge of certain transactions in connection with the
sale of arms to natives, in which he (the Consul) had taken a leading
and lucrative part. So when he saw the supercargo of the _Tucopia_
beckoning to O'Donovan he smiled genially at him, and hurriedly told the
detective to go.

"He's a most astute and clever young scoundrel, Mr. O'Donovan, and in a
way we are at his mercy. But you shall have the four hundred pounds in
the morning--not later than noon. This man Barton must be brought to
justice at any cost."

"Just so, sir; and you will get a hundred out of the business, any way,"
replied O'Donovan, who had gauged the Consul's morality pretty fairly.

As Otway and the detective walked towards the hotel known as "Johnny
Hall's" the former said lazily--

"Look here, Mr. O'Donovan. Are the skipper and myself to get those four
hundred sovs to-morrow or not? To tell you the exact truth, I have a
fair amount of doubt about your promise. Where are you going to get the
money?"

"That's all right, Mr. Otway. You're a business man. And you and the
skipper will have your two hundred each before one o'clock to-morrow.
The Consul is doing the necessary."

"Right, my boy," said Otway effusively. "Now we'll play a game or two at
Johnny's and have some fun with the girls."

By eleven o'clock Mr. O'Donovan was comfortably half drunk, and Otway
led him out on to the verandah to look at the harbour, shimmering under
the starlight. They sat down on two cane lounges, and the supercargo's
keen eye saw that Revel's schooner had gone. He breathed freely, and
then brought Mr. O'Donovan a large whisky and soda.

* * * * *

In the morning Mr. O'Donovan and Mr. William Johns, the British Consul,
were in a state of frenzy on discovering that Mr. and Mrs. Lacy had
escaped during the night in the schooner _Solafanua_. The Consul knew
that Otway was at the bottom of the matter, but dared not say so, but
O'Donovan, who had more pluck and nothing to lose, lost his temper and
came on board the _Tucopia_ just as she was being hauled up on the beach
to get at the leak.

"You're a dirty sweep," he said to Otway.

The supercargo hit him between the eye