lowed the seas?"

"I ain't able to say, exactly, but it wa'n't long after Adoniah left
home."

"Cap'n Pott, Mr. Fox knew your half-brother after they had both left
this country."

"How do you know that?"

"Just by putting two and two together."

The seaman took the yellow bit of paper from his pocket, and in his
excitement crumpled it into a wad. "But Adoniah went to Australia, and
Jim says he was in Africa," he said, testing out the other's fund of
information.

"I know all about that story, but I don't believe one word of it. Mr.
Fox did not make his money in Africa, and he knew your half-brother."

"What's all this got to do with that there client Harold spoke of the
last night you ate up there?"

"Everything. The man he mentioned was a trader in Sydney. He had married
an only daughter of an older trader, and then something happened. The
younger man disappeared very suddenly. The old trader searched for
years, but in vain. Recently, he died, leaving a large estate. His wife
has taken up the search for the lost daughter. It was the name of the
old trader's son-in-law that crumpled up Mr. Fox like an autumn leaf.
The young trader's name was Adoniah Phillips."

Though he had been anticipating this, the Captain fell back into his
chair and stared blankly at the minister. "But why did he act like the
devil toward you, Mack? That's what I want to know."

"I don't know. That is the thing that puzzles me."

"What more do you know?"

"Harold said that Mr. Phillips came over to this country."

The Captain again sprang from his chair as though hurled out by a
strong spring. Mr. McGowan rose to face him.

"My brother in America? Mack, it's a lie! He'd have looked me up!"

"Perhaps he had reasons for not wishing you to know about him. He may
have been an outlaw."

The minister then asked abruptly, "What connection was there between him
and Mr. Fox? That is the thing we must find out."

The Captain was trembling. "Have you seen Harold since he come back?"

"Not yet. But I intend to."

"No you don't! For God's sake, boy, don't do it!"

"But I must. I want to help you and Miss Pipkin. Then, for some unknown
reason, I seem to be a part of all this mystery, and I intend to ferret
it out."

"Mack, please don't!"

"Is it because you fear disgrace to your family name?"

"That's it!" shouted the seaman, seizing the minister by the arms with a
crushing grip. "I'll tell you the hull miserable yarn some day, whe