a man, my name's not Long,"
he muttered to himself, as they walked on together.

"There's only--"

Captain Smithers, who was speaking, stopped short, and the ensign
stared.

"I do not want to offend you, Long," he said, "but all I say to you is
in strict confidence now, and you must be careful what you repeat."

"You may trust me, Captain Smithers," said the ensign quietly.

"Yes, I am sure I may," was the reply. "Look here, then. I was going
to say that the only weak point in our arrangements here seems to be
that!"

He nodded his head in the direction in which they were going, and the
ensign stared.

"I mean about allowing that Malay, Abdullah, to set up his tent among
us. He has such freedom of communicating with the banks of the river on
both sides. He is a man, too, whom I rather distrust."

"Indeed?" said Long.

"Yes, I don't know why. But unless for some good and sufficient reason
it would, I think, be bad policy to attempt to oust him."

"Yes," calmly said Long. "He is a violent fellow, too;" and he related
the incident about their first meeting.

"If the major had known of this," said Captain Smithers, "he would never
have allowed the man to settle here. You did wrong in not speaking of
it, Long."

"He was so apologetic and gentlemanly afterwards," said the ensign,
"that I did not care to speak about it, and upset the fellow's plans."

"Well, it is too late to talk about it now," replied Captain Smithers;
"but I shall have his actions quietly watched. Let me see, who will be
the man?"

"There's Private Gray yonder," suggested the ensign.

"I hate Private Gray!" exclaimed Captain Smithers, with a sudden burst
of rage, of which he seemed to be ashamed the next moment, for he said
hastily,--"It is a foolish antipathy, for Gray is a good, staunch man;"
and making an effort to master himself, he made a sign to Gray to come
to them.

"You are right, Long; Gray is the man. He is to be trusted."

The private came up, and stiffly saluted his officers, standing at
attention.

"Gray," said Captain Smithers, "I want you to undertake a little task
for me."

"Yes, sir."

"You will be off regular duty; another man will take your place. I want
you, in a quiet, unostentatious manner, to keep an eye on Abdullah the
fruit-seller. Don't let him suspect that you are watching him, for
really there may be no cause; but he is the only native here who has
free access to the island, and during the