He shook his head as he continued behind the two men-of-war’s men. “Nope, them guns must be on the schooner,” he said to himself. At the landing they met the two midshipmen, who had returned from their picnic and were waiting to return to the “Sitka.” O’Neil explained the situation. Johnny Upolu had followed his liberated captive at a safe distance, and now seeing the two officers, respectfully approached, holding out the warrant to Phil, and indicating Stump with his finger. The lad examined it carefully. “What has he done?” Phil inquired. “This warrant must be respected, anyway.” He turned to Stump. “I’ll see the captain at once, and you being an American, he will ask to have you released if you have committed no crime.” Johnny Upolu put his hand on the prisoner’s shoulder and led him quietly toward the jail. A few yards had been traveled when Stump stopped and called. “May I speak to you a moment, sir, in private?” Phil joined him, and the policeman moved away a few feet. “Keep these here things for me,” he said. “You can show ’em to your skipper.” Phil received a package of soiled letters and put them into his pocket. Upon arrival on board the midshipmen went at once to Commander Tazewell’s cabin. They found him deep in thought. “I have just left the consul’s house,” the commander said after waving the lads to seats. “He tells me all the natives believe that the guns have been landed. The Herzovinian consul a few days ago said he would help to prevent a war, and to-day he writes to the American and English consul that he must reserve his decision until Judge Lindsay has given his judgment. Kataafa was summoned by Judge Lindsay to appear before him at one o’clock to-day and he deliberately waited two hours before he appeared, a Kapuan way of showing his independence. It all looks ominous,” he added ruefully. Phil began at once to tell of the native council at Jumping Rock and the “tonga-fiti” decided for that night. He also called in O’Neil, who had been waiting outside the cabin, and that worthy told in picturesque language the story of Stump. “Here are some letters this man Stump gave me, and said I could show them to you, sir,” Phil said after O’Neil had completed his narrative. Commander Tazewell examined the much soiled and torn correspondence, while the lads and O’Neil waited in silent interest to learn of their purport. “These corroborate the very thing I have been anxious to prove,” Commander Tazewell exclaimed joyfully. “Scott’s a full fledged American. He cleared from Suva in the Fiji under the American flag. There’s the paper,” handing to Phil an English colonial document. “What’s this?--a clipping from an English paper,” he added wonderingly. “Schooner ‘Ta-Li’ stolen by a Yankee pirate.” “Stump said Captain Scott had stolen the ‘Talofa’ in Hongkong,” O’Neil said quietly. Commander Tazewell glanced quickly over the remaining letters.