"I'm tired," grunted Bruce Browning. "Can't I rest in my bunk while the powwow is going on?" "No," came firmly from Frank, "this is a matter of business, and it won't hurt you to sit up a while." "Oh, get a brace on!" exclaimed Diamond, flinging the words at the big Yale man. "Act as if you had some life in you, old fellow." The manner in which the words were spoken made the usually polite Virginian seem quite unlike himself, but Bruce simply grinned, observing: "You shouldn't hold a grudge because I flirted a little with Miss Benjamin, Diamond; you got a lead on me while Merriwell and I were investigating on Devil Island, and won her back, all right. Don't be sour over it." The Southerner sprang up, his eyes flashing: "Mr. Browning," he said, hotly, "I warn you not to speak lightly of Miss Benjamin! You seem to take delight in mentioning her in connection with every little occurrence, and it is getting tiresome. There is a limit!" "Huah!" grunted the giant. "Touchy, mighty touchy. First thing I know he'll be challenging me to a duel." "It would be useless to challenge you!" flashed Jack. "You Northerners are too cold blooded to fight." "Well, now, this will do!" cut in Merry, promptly rising to his feet. "I won't have it on board my yacht." "Then I suppose we can go on shore and fight it out," said Jack, sourly. "If you want to make fools of yourselves--yes." "You are very plain spoken, Mr. Merriwell." "It is necessary at times, Diamond. Hold your temper in check, old man, and don't talk about Northerners and Southerners. There is no North, no South. The time is past. When you came to Yale you were full of freakish notions about the North and the South, but I fancied you had been pretty well cured of that. I see it will crop out occasionally, though." To this Diamond made no retort, but he looked thoroughly angry. With another fellow Frank would have laughed him out of the mood, but he knew it would not do to try that on the Virginian, for Jack could not endure a bit of ridicule. However, Merry talked quietly, and soon he could see he was pouring oil on the troubled waters, for the look of anger was leaving Diamond's face, and Browning had assumed a lounging attitude. "This is no time for hard feelings between any of us," said Frank. "As I said a few minutes ago, I have called you together for a council of war." "Vot did I mean ven you said dot?" asked Hans Dunnerwust. "Berhaps you don'd understood me as vell as I might. Vot for haf dot gouncil uf var peen caldt?" "Yes," said Bart Hodge, "just what are you driving at, Merriwell?" "Fellows, we have struck a mystery." "I thought you had solved the mystery of the monster of Devil Island." "I solved the mystery of the monster's identity and discovered the creature was the hunchback, Put Wiley, in disguise." "But he came near ending your career."