Marley’s face broke into a happy smile as he assured the assembled officers and men, who had been progressively arriving as quickly as the numerous boats could land at the two gangways, that every word spoken by O’Neil was the gospel truth. Lieutenant Winston took the letter and handed it over to the Japanese lieutenant who had been the first to arrive. Winston’s face wore a solemn air of perplexity. “What does all this mean, O’Neil?” he asked sternly. “These varmints,” pointing to the now trembling prisoners, “have been writing up all kinds of lies for a Japanese paper, and they were trying to make off with this letter.” The Japanese lieutenant’s face wore a puzzled look; he tried in vain to follow the English of the sailor. Winston turned to him and in simpler language explained the situation. “I’ll take my men back to the ship,” he ended, bowing, hand to his cap, while the Japanese officer insisted upon shaking both O’Neil and Marley by the hand and thanking them solemnly for their great service to his country. “Don’t mention it, sir,” O’Neil replied. “I hope you’ll give those white-livered guys there a hot line of Japanese argument. Where I come from there’d be a tar and feather party.” The Japanese lieutenant smiled again, much puzzled, apologizing that he could speak and understand so little English. “That’s good, sir,” O’Neil said as he obeyed the signal to embark. “Just don’t understand a word they say, for it won’t be true, anyway. What I’ve told you is the correct dope.” After the American launch had shoved off from the yacht and was standing back to the “Alaska” some hundreds or more yards away, Lieutenant Winston turned an inquiring glance on the boatswain’s mate. “That must have been an important letter,” he exclaimed, “by the way the officer pounced on it and stowed it away in his tunic pocket. Do you know what was in it?” “Not first hand. No, sir,” O’Neil replied soberly. “But that fellow Randall knows all about it, or I miss my guess.” CHAPTER XV INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY After the Japanese officer had taken his abrupt departure Phil looked despondent. “This thing must not occur, Phil,” Sydney cried out earnestly, laying his hand affectionately upon the shoulder of his classmate. “The whole miserable affair can and must be explained. To fight this duel would only heap fuel on the already smouldering fire of misunderstanding between the two countries. It is our duty,” he urged, “to go to Taki and unmask this man Impey; don’t you see by remaining passive we are aiding him in his designs, whatever they may be?” Phil sat unmoved, apparently unheeding his friend’s appeal. “You haven’t considered, Syd,” he replied sadly. “These Japanese are not like our own people. I have done bodily injury to an officer of the Emperor of Japan in his sacred uniform. Until he kills me the shame cannot be wiped out. So you see,” he ended hopelessly, “I must fight; there is no other way.”