e is your man. He has made his boasts that he
would be protected."

Mr. Fogg turned a cold stare upon the man's appreciative grin.

"I never saw this person before, sir."

"I know better!" Mayo leaped to a conclusion, and bluffed. "I can prove
by men here in this city that you have been talking with him."

"He may have been one of the persons who came to me asking for work on
the wreck, providing my concern decided to salvage. But we concluded
not to undertake the work, and I paid no attention to him. As far as any
memory of mine is concerned, I never saw him before, I say."

"You don't represent any salvage company," insisted Mayo. "You have come
here to interfere with anybody who tries to salvage that steamer."

"What is your business with me, sir? Get somewhere!"

"I have come to show you this man. If you'll keep your hands off my
affairs, shut your mouth, and stop telling men here that the plan to
salvage is hopeless, I'll turn this man over to you. You know what I
ought to do to you right here and now, Fogg," he cried, savagely. "But
I'm not going to bother--not now. I'm here to trade with you on this one
matter."

"I'm not interested."

"Then I shall take this man to the police station and lodge my
complaint. When criminal prosecution starts you'll see what happens to
you."

"Go as far as you like," consented Mr. Fogg, listlessly. "You can't make
me responsible for the acts of a person I don't know from Adam."

"Is that your last word?"

"Of course it is!" snapped the promoter. "You must be a lunatic to think
anything else."

"Very well. May I use your telephone to call the police?"

"Certainly." Mr. Fogg lighted a cigar and picked up a newspaper.

"Just a moment before you use that 'phone," objected the third member
of the party. "I want an understanding. You please step out of the room,
Mayo."

"Stay where you are," commanded Fogg. "I'll give no chance for any
underhand work." He scowled when the prisoner winked at him. "This looks
to me like a put-up job between you two."

"There's nothing put up between us," declared the man. "There'd better
be something put up between _you_ two. The thing can go about so far,
where I'm concerned, and no farther. I want an understanding, I say!"

Fogg slapped open the pages of his newspaper.

"I have made my talk," said Mayo.

"By gad, I'm not going to jail--not for anybody!"

Fogg removed his eye-glasses and gave the man a full, unblinking stare.