me and spoke in a low voice.

"Before this fellow goes I want Mott to hear what he has said. Take
Yeager up with you and relieve him. And see that Alderson gets a
revolver."

I took our mate's place at the wheel and sent him forward. Tom Yeager
leaned on the ship's rail and looked away across the glassy waters of
the Pacific. I remember that he was humming, as was his fashion, a
snatch from a musical comedy.

It was such a day as one dreams about, with that pleasant warmth in the
air that makes for indolent content. One or two of the men were lounging
lazily on the forecastle deck. Caine was reading a book of travels I had
lent him the previous day.

Were we all, as Mott believed, the victims of a stupid nightmare? Or
could it be true that beneath all this peace boiled a volcano ready at
any minute for an eruption?

Mott returned in an unpleasant mood. The truth is that he was nursing a
grudge because he was the last man on board to know that we were on a
cruise for treasure. He resented it that our party had not told him, and
he took it with a bad grace that every man jack of the crew had been
whispering for days about something of which he had been kept in the
dark. Upon my word I think he had some just cause of complaint.

While he jeered at the precautions we were taking I tried to placate
him, for now of all times we could least afford to have any quarrels in
our party.

"You will admit there is no harm in going prepared, Mr. Mott?" I argued.

"To be sure. Ballast yourselves with revolvers, for all I care. I'll
carry one because Captain Blythe has ordered it, but don't expect me to
join in the play acting."

I felt myself flushing.

"The situation appears to us a very serious one."

"Slap doodle bugs! Let Captain Blythe give the word and I'll go down and
bring up this bogey man, that is, if there is such a fellow aboard at
all."

Presently I was called down to luncheon. I found Miss Wallace lingering
with Blythe in the dining-room. As soon as I arrived the captain left.

Philips waited on me. He had already heard the news, and was ashen. His
hands trembled as he passed dishes so that I was sorry for him.

"He's badly frightened, poor man," the young woman whispered to me
across the table during one of his absences. "I wish I could tell him
that there will probably be no serious trouble."

Her eyes appealed to mine. I could see that with her aunt and poor
Philips on her hands she was in for no ea