we never would have
got into this mess."

"But didn't he get you?" Jerry Rolfe's voice went to a squeak with
astonishment.

"Get us? What's biting you, man?"

Rolfe showed the skipper the message he had received from the big
Hollander, and Barry scanned it narrowly, then passed it on to Little.

"I don't quite understand this," replied Barry, puzzled. "Perhaps he
meant real navy men. These were fakes, as you have found out by now."

"Sure, but I'd have been leary about firing on 'em at that if Blunt
hadn't spotted their imitation uniforms first, sir."

"Well, Vandersee had nothing to do with this, Rolfe. As I have told Miss
Sheldon, it was Leyden who looked in on us; and it was Leyden's men who
got us, fooling me with their official attitude."

"Oh, what does it all mean?" cried Natalie, gazing from face to face in
perplexity. "Are you sure that Mr. Leyden has done this thing? He told
me you were opium smugglers, Captain Barry, and I believed that he was
aiding the Government to stamp out the traffic."

"Opium!" gasped the skipper furiously. "That's what the fake navy
officer pulled on us up the river. He contrived to find a can or two in
the shacks, too."

"And is it untrue?" The girl's low tone held a tremor of hope.

"Untrue! Good God, Miss Sheldon, what do you take us for?"

The girl was silent. She lowered her face and went on with her work of
alleviating pain, and all talk ceased. Every man there realized that
somewhere behind the outward show of chance hostility lay a deeper, more
sinister problem yet to be solved. Barry found himself peering up at the
girl, wondering if after all she was out of his reach. Her touch
thrilled him, and when her eyes met his in fleeting glance they glowed
warm and moist, her lips trembled as if she were fighting to restrain
tears. And for what? Barry hoped, then feared. Only a sight of Little's
quizzical grin fastened upon him prevented him uttering a speech that
must have embarrassed the girl.

The silent stress was relieved by the gruff, deep-sea voice of Bill
Blunt, leading somebody into the little jungle covert where the injured
men lay.

"I tell ye we didn't pitch into no navy party, Mister," the old fellow
growled. "All as we done wuz to knock seven bells outa a mob o' dirty
murderers. Come on an' see th' skipper hisself. He kin tell ye."

Vandersee emerged from the bush, strode across to Barry, and knelt
beside him. His face was dark with irritation.

"I a