rrefutable proof of foul play.

The commander laughed, suddenly and heartily.

'Another liqueur?' he said. Then, to me: 'Upon my word, your friend
amuses me. It's impossible to make him spin a yarn. I expect he had a
bad time of it.'

'That's nothing to him,' I said; 'he prefers it. He anchored me the
other day behind the Hohenhoern in a gale of wind; said it was safer
than a harbour, and more sanitary.'

'I wonder he brought you here last night. It was a fair wind for
England; and not very far.'

'There was no pilot to follow, you see.'

'With a charming daughter--no.'

Davies frowned and glared at me. I was merciful and changed the
subject.

'Besides,' I said, 'we've left our anchor and chain out there.' And I
made confession of my sin.

'Well, as it's buoyed, I should advise you to pick it up as soon as
you can,' said von Bruening, carelessly; 'or someone else will.'

'Yes, by Jove! Carruthers,' said Davies, eagerly, 'we must get out on
this next tide.'

'Oh, there's no hurry,' I said, partly from policy, partly because
the ease of the shore was on me. To sit on a chair upright is
something of a luxury, however good the cause in which you have
crouched like a monkey over a table at the level of your knees, with
a reeking oil-stove at your ear.

'They're honest enough about here, aren't they?' I added. While the
words were on my lips I remembered the midnight visitor at Wangeroog,
and guessed that von Bruening was leading up to a test. Grimm (if he
was the visitor) would have told him of his narrow escape from
detection, and reticence on our part would show we suspected
something. I could have kicked myself, but it was not too late. I
took the bull by the horns, and, before the commander could answer,
added:

'By Jove! Davies, I forgot about that fellow at Wangeroog. The anchor
might be stolen, as he says.'

Davies looked blank, but von Bruening had turned to me.

'We never dreamed there would be thieves among these islands,' I
said, 'but the other night I nearly caught a fellow in the act. He
thought the yacht was empty.'

I described the affair in detail, and with what humour I could. Our
host was amused, and apologetic for the islanders.

'They're excellent folk,' he said, 'but they're born with predatory
instincts. Their fathers made their living out of wrecks on this
coast, and the children inherit a weakness for plunder. When
Wangeroog lighthouse was built they petitioned the Government f