t is so," replied the captain. "We had to shut up tight while you
were in the pilot-house; and as Louis is in your watch, I stopped the
Maud partly to give him a chance to talk with you, and partly to carry
out the manoeuvre agreed upon."

"But I can't see why it was considered necessary to keep me in the
dark," added Morris. "Am I supposed to be any more leaky than the rest
of you?"

"I don't believe any one thought so," replied Louis. "You remember that
at Gallipoli, Flix and I went ashore in one of the two harbors, taking
Don with us to talk Turkish, though His Highness and Captain Mazagan did
their business in French, which they supposed no one near them could
speak or understand; and I happened to be the only one of our party who
took in all that was said. When we returned to the Guardian-Mother I
told Captain Ringgold all about it, in the presence of Flix. The
commander immediately directed us to say not a word about it to any
person. Even Captain Scott was kept in the dark till he and I were on
the verge of a quarrel in Pournea Bay."

"That is putting it a little too strong, Louis," interposed the captain.
"I should not have quarrelled with you under any circumstances; I could
not have done so."

"But I interfered with you in your command because I understood the
situation, and you did not; and Captain Ringgold told me to tell you all
there was to be told," Louis explained. "But he was not willing you
should be posted, Morris; for he feared that you might unintentionally
betray the secret to your mother. We have got along so far without
lying, and I believe the commander would throw up the voyage rather than
have any of us go beyond simple concealment without falsehood. As he
says, we are acting a lie, though we are doing it for the health,
comfort, and happiness of those we love the best on earth. The biggest
lies are sometimes told without the utterance of a vocal word."

"I am satisfied, fellows, and I am sure Captain Ringgold has acted from
the highest of motives. Now I should like to know something about the
manoeuvre in which you are engaged."

Captain Scott explained it in full. Felix had gone to his station in the
bow, to observe the movements of the Guardian-Mother and the Fatime.
From there he had gone to the hurricane deck, in order to obtain a
better view. After an absence of half an hour he came into the
pilot-house again, with his glass under his arm; for it had now become
the emblem of his o