O’Neil’s face lighted up in pleasurable anticipation at the suggestion of detective work. “The man who got in the motor with Impey, just before O’Neil and Marley arrived, dropped a paper,” Sydney interjected. “I picked it up for him.” “You did!” Phil exclaimed in surprise. “What was it like?” “A long white envelope,” Sydney replied. “I was too excited to notice it particularly.” Phil was thoughtfully silent. “Here’s Sago, the captain’s steward’s address,” Phil said after a few minutes of deep thought. “If you need an interpreter look him up. Come back here when you have anything to tell us.” The sailors departed, and the midshipmen again read the letter for the “Shimbunshi.” “No Japanese could write this,” Sydney declared. “This is the work of an Englishman or American.” “The writer of this,” Phil answered grimly, “is one of the gang of rascals who have been for months trying to break up the friendly relations between Japan and the United States. Could the man with Impey have dropped it? O’Neil spoke of its lying where he had passed.” “He dropped one letter; why not this one too!” Sydney exclaimed. “If that is what happened,” Phil cried eagerly, “then we’ve found out Impey’s calling. He’s the leader of these conspirators.” “What shall we do with the letter?” Sydney asked suddenly. “I shall place it at once in Captain Rodgers’ hands,” Phil replied decidedly. “It’s too much responsibility for us to shoulder.” “But,” Sydney said gravely, “then what was the cause of the constraint in the navy building? Something was lost by their messenger. It might have been this letter. Remember, Taki can write excellent English, quite as good as this, and the handwriting, as I remember his, is not unlike it.” Phil whistled softly to show the seriousness of this thought. “If this letter was composed in the Japanese navy department,” Sydney continued excitedly, “it means but one thing.” Phil nodded, his pulse beating faster. It meant that the Japanese navy department was itself prejudicing the people against Americans. “The ‘Shimbunshi’ is the newspaper that has been most vituperative against everything American. It then would be the government organ,” Phil said grimly and in a lowered voice. “The silent partner of the Mikado’s ministers. It seems monstrous! I can’t believe it possible! And Taki helping to poison the minds of his people against us after greeting us so affectionately this afternoon!” Phil was striving to excuse the people whom he admired greatly for their wonderful achievements. “Before we show this letter,” Sydney suggested, “hadn’t we better try to find its true source? Let it rest until to-morrow, anyway. Maybe O’Neil will be able to find out something to throw light on its origin.” The lads therefore decided to wait until morning before giving Captain Rodgers the highly colored letter whose author attributed the vilest reasons for the “Alaska’s” visit to Tokyo.