iant.

"I thought it would surely go overboard," went on Tom. "Only for Koku
it would have. Those fellows couldn't hold it when the ship rolled."

"How did it happen to get loose?" asked Ned.

"Oh, the cables frayed, I suppose. I'll take a look in the morning.
Say, but this is some storm!"

"Is the gun all right now?"

"Yes, it's fastened down like a mummy. It can't get loose unless the
whole deck comes with it. We can sleep in peace."

"Not much sleep in this blow, I guess," responded Ned.

But they did manage to get some rest by morning, at which time the
hurricane seemed to have blown itself out. The day saw the sea
gradually calm down, and the big cannon was made additionally secure
against a possible recurrence of the accident. But a few days more and
it would be safe at Colon.

Tom and Ned had gone on deck soon after breakfast to look at the
cannon. All about were pieces of the broken cables, that had been cast
aside when the new lashings were put on. Ned picked up one end,
remarking:

"These seem mighty strong. It's queer how they broke."

"Well, there was quite a weight upon them," spoke Tom.

Ned did not reply for a moment. Then, as he looked at another piece of
a severed cable, he exclaimed:

"Tom, the weight of your gun never broke these."

"What do you mean, Ned?"

"I mean that they were partly filed, or cut through--then the storm and
the pressure of the gun did the rest. Look!"

He held out the piece of wire rope. There, on the end, could be seen
several strands cleanly severed, as though a file or a hacksaw had been
used.

"By Jove!" murmured Tom. He looked about the deck. There was no one
near the big gun. "Ned," whispered his chum, "there's something wrong
here. It's more of that conspiracy to defeat my aims. Don't say
anything about this, and we'll keep our eyes open. We'll do a bit of
detective work."

"The scoundrels!" exclaimed Ned. "I wish we knew who they were.
General Waller isn't aboard, and what other of the officers has a gun
of his own that he would rather see accepted by the government than
yours?"

"None that I know of," replied Tom.

"General Waller might have hired someone to--"

"Don't go making any unwarranted charges," warned the young inventor.

"Or perhaps that German, Tom, might--"

"Hush!" cautioned Tom. "Here he comes now," and, as he spoke, General
von Brunderger came strolling along the deck.

"I am glad to see that the accident of last night had n