“I believe I see the way,” he replied after a lapse of a few minutes. “When he sees that his fleet has failed and that there is no chance for our seizure, then he may be more amenable to common sense. The Japanese fighting class represented now in the army and navy, the Samurai of old, have a very lofty sense of honor. Taki would without a personal thought sink or blow up this vessel if he believed by so doing he could aid his government in its plans. That is why it was necessary to constrain him. If we had not discovered him in the wireless room yesterday just after the fog shut down, the thing upon which our plan principally depends would have been wrecked beyond repair; for during only a few minutes his destructive work was marvelous, and he knew the most important things to destroy. Fortunately there were spare parts in the storeroom and Randall, who seems to be an all around handy man, is doing wonders to repair the damage. Hereafter Taki must be watched more closely. “From now on we must keep a watch on Impey, too,” Phil continued, a happy smile on his face. “He asked me only a moment ago if I thought we could call up Manila yet. He counts on our wirelessing the admiral and expects he will sail at once to an appointed rendezvous, and that we will then intercept the Chinese ships and lead them to this rendezvous. He asked me if that was not my plan. When he knows our real intention he will be mad enough to attempt anything.” “And what did you say?” Sydney asked, catching Phil’s joyful spirit. “I said how clever he was to have guessed it; and then added I hoped we should have the wireless working very soon.” The day passed pleasantly enough on board the yacht; the fog had cleared away, eaten up by the sun, long before noon. A few curls of smoke had been sighted, but no vessel crossed their track close enough to show even the top of its funnel. O’Neil and Marley had formed a strong liking for Randall, who had shown himself willing to atone for past misdeeds. “You see, O’Neil,” he had exclaimed in the strictest confidence while they were both working to repair the damage caused by Takishima’s few minutes of liberty, “when a fellow gets down on his luck in a foreign country, his sense of right and wrong suffers a blight. He can’t recognize the difference until it’s pointed out to him. I thought it was fine to vilify my country and countrymen, baiting the Japanese bull, as it were. I got good pay for it, and it all went home to my mother.” Here he lowered his voice, and a wistful look came into his eyes. “She didn’t know that the money was tainted, and besides,” he added softly, “there wasn’t any money coming from anywhere else, and she was very much in need of it.” O’Neil put out a strong, honest hand and placed it on Randall’s shoulder.