Ta-Ling groaned in anguish as the full significance of this news dawned upon him. The Americans evidently had Emmons--and his chart. But had they escaped? That was surely the cause of the firing. “What was the firing?” Ta-Ling asked hurriedly. “An American monitor and the forts,” the officer replied in a shaky voice. “What have I done?” he added questioningly, much terrified over the results of his indiscretion. “You’ve given your captain’s letters to his enemy, for one thing,” the Chinaman answered in his cruel voice, “and besides you have liberated a man----” A shrill cry from the steam launch, which had, while waiting for the Chinaman, hauled out to the lower boom to lie more securely in the tideway, cut short Ta-Ling’s words and drew the two men to the rail. “There’s a man tied hand and foot in this boat,” called out the coxswain in alarm. “It’s the captain!” he exclaimed with many imprecations upon those who had perpetrated the deed. “Cut him loose, quick!” the officer cried excitedly. Eager hands quickly cut the tight cords, and Commander Ignacio soon stood on his quarter-deck. “An hour ago I would have throttled you if you’d stood here before me,” were his first words, spoken hoarsely and with difficulty to the Chinaman, “but I see it all now. We’ve been unmercifully duped.” [Illustration: “_THERE IS STILL A CHANCE_”] With many bitter recriminations the whole plot and its disastrous success was discussed. Commander Ignacio could barely control his rage against the young officer who had innocently betrayed him. “Come, we must act at once!” Ta-Ling finally exclaimed. “There is still a chance.” The foreign captain’s face brightened as he questioned eagerly the excited secretary. “The channel will be useless to the fleet if we can burn off the reed grass,” Ta-Ling explained quickly. “The land itself is low and will not hide the gunboats from the forts. But we must be quick. That fire-eating American will start immediately he receives the information of this channel.” “Come to my cabin,” Ignacio ordered in a low voice, glancing suspiciously at his abashed lieutenant. “If I understand you,” he continued as the door closed behind them, “you ask me to aid you in burning the vegetation on this island.” “Certainly!” Ta-Ling cried impatiently. “Isn’t it to your interest that this American does not succeed?” “Softly,” cautioned the foreign captain; “we don’t want our talk to be common property,” indicating by a motion of his hand the hatchway leading to the sleeping quarters of his officers; “some one may be awake down there.” Ignacio pondered for a few seconds. To go in his own launch and set fire to this island would betray his part in the intrigue with the viceroy. His sailors could not be depended upon to keep such a secret. “I see no alternative but to decline,” he continued decidedly. “You must do this act yourself; my men could not be trusted with such a secret.”