he boatswain, in a forcible sentence, disclosed his opinion of the
Japanese gentleman's ancestral line. Then, abruptly, his tone became
conciliatory.

"Ow--but say! Ye'll send me some grub? Swiggle me, ye ain't going to
bloody well starve me, are ye?"

Ichi, retreating to the ladder before Martin's advance, delivered his
parting shot at the boatswain.

"Fasting, my dear friend, is an ancient companion of meditation.
Tomorrow, perhaps, when thought has chastened your mood, there is a
possibleness you may receive food."

Martin mounted the ladder with mingled feelings; with dismay at leaving
the boatswain, with a wild hope of encountering Ruth above, with
exhilaration at the success of the boatswain's strategy.

For Martin had fathomed the boatswain's reason for baiting the
Japanese. The boatswain had known of the alloy of vanity in Ichi's
composition, and he had seized upon it to extract needful information.
He had succeeded; Ichi's conceit and vindictiveness had overcome his
native caution.

The boatswain knew now something of the enemy's plans. More important,
he knew that he was to be left alone, without disturbance, in the
lazaret for a whole day. Ichi had already stepped into the cabin with
his lantern. Martin called into the gloom behind him:

"Good-by, bos! Good luck!"

He could not see his friend, but he shrewdly suspected the boatswain
was already divesting himself of his bonds. The big fellow's hoarse
growl reached him:

"Good-by, lad. Good luck!"

CHAPTER XVI

THREE GENTLEMEN CONVERSE

Daylight, dazzling to Martin's gloom-accustomed eyes, filled the
_Cohasset's_ cabin. Martin's upward ranging gaze, as he clambered out
of the lazaret, saw, through the open cabin skylights, the blue sky and
the sunshine sparkling upon brass fixtures. So he knew the fog had
lifted and the day was clear.

He took a step aside from the lazaret hatch, and then sent his eager
gaze about the cabin. But Ruth was not present. He was intensely
disappointed.

He stared hard at the closed door to Captain Dabney's room, as if the
very intensity of his troubled gaze might penetrate those blank oak
panels. The boatswain had said Ruth was nursing the captain in that
room. But was the boatswain's opinion correct? Hours had passed. Was
she still safe in the captain's room?

The slamming shut of the trap-door over the black hole by his side
abruptly brought his thoughts back to himself, and his eyes to