re you?" asked Ned, not much surprised, after what had taken
place, to find the party officered by an American.

"An officer in the United States army," was the unexpected reply.

"Then what are you doing all this shooting for?" demanded Frank. "Why
did you molest the _Manhattan_, here on government service?"

"We'll see about the service she is on later," replied the officer.
"Beat it for the harbor, all of you."

When the party reached the Tusks the crew of the schooner was busy
unloading long pine boxes which looked as if they contained shovels and
hoes, and seemed to be very heavy. The second vessel, the one which had
been observed in the north, lay close in.

"Where's the officer in charge?" asked Ned, as they approached a group
standing at the head of the harbor.

The officer who had captured the boys pointed out a tall, rather
fine-looking man who was standing, pencil and paper in hand, checking
off the boxes as they crashed down on the beach.

"There he is," was the information given. "Lieutenant Carstens, and a
mighty good man at that!"

The Filipino boy stepped forward, as if anticipating a friendly greeting
and then drew back in confusion. Lieutenant Carstens had looked him
fairly in the face and had not recognized him.

Ned did not step forward to present his side of the case to the man
pointed out to him, for there was no need to do so. The man was the one
he had met in the tea house in Yokohama, in the Street of a Thousand
Steps.

"Go on and give him a talk," Frank said, as Ned drew back.

"There is not a bit of use," Ned replied. "The man is a crook, and is
not acting for the government here."

"Then why these vessels?" asked Frank. "He must be a good deal of a wise
crook if be sails about with a fleet like that."

"I rather think he is a good deal of a wise crook," Ned replied. "He's
the man whom Jimmie saw mixing with the rebel chiefs."

"But look here," Frank insisted, "look at the blue coats unloading the
boxes. They are in the service, for sure. This Lieutenant Carstens may
be a crook, but he has a command in the United States navy, all right."

One of the men who was assisting the Lieutenant in the tally now called
his attention to the prisoners and the Filipino boy standing by their
side. He listened for a moment to what was said to him, then motioned
for the Filipino boy to approach. The two talked for a moment in
Spanish, and then the boy, evidently much against his will, was sen