“I’ve never had such an experience in all my life,” I heard the actor complaining fatuously. “Hang it all, this is a funny way of running a boat.” “Shut up, can’t you?” barked Rice. “Does somebody know where we are?” “All I can tell you,” Smith responded placidly, “is that we’re out of sight of land. But we can’t be far from the coast.” The yacht heaved and shadows toppled. I heard Rice swear. Smith muttered to me: “This is a real storm all right. It had me fooled. I thought it’d pass over.” The boat creaked and rattled, and the engines throbbed as if in struggle. Then the door opened, and Perutkin appeared with his flash-light. It was good to be rid of the dark again. “I’m sorry,” he announced, “but the Captain can tell me nothing.” He paused. “Nothing!” “What the devil do you mean by that?” demanded the elder Breese. “Where is he? Bring him down here. I’ll have him fired the minute we land.” “That is your affair, Mr. Breese,” replied the Russian, playing the light full upon the face of the financier. “I know nothing of that. All I can tell you is that the Captain cannot come down here. He is not leaving the bridge.” “What’s wrong with the lights?” asked Rice. “They are investigating now,” replied the Russian. “They do not know themselves.” He set his flash-light upon the table, so that it shed its faint rays upon us all. “Meanwhile we must content ourselves with this. It will do in an emergency.” “It’s outrageous!” cried the actor. “It’s never happened before.” “Where are we?” demanded Rice, straining to see out of the window. “That I cannot tell you,” responded the Russian. “They were not very communicative--your officers. The Captain growled at me as if he would bite me, and the first officer was not very polite either.” He stopped short, as the Countess rose from the sofa and stared at a shadowy figure in one corner. It was with some effort that she stifled a scream. The Count came forward. For the first time his presence was revealed to the mourners. “Where on earth did you come from?” Rice gasped at the intruder. The actor seemed to have gone mad. “Somebody arrest him! Somebody arrest him!” he shouted. “Here, you detectives--here he is!” “Quiet!” roared Perutkin. “I must apologize to you, Mary,” the Count began quietly. “And to you, gentlemen. I did not come here to startle you. The fact is, I came on board to give myself up.” “Then sit down!” commanded Perutkin. “Consider yourself under arrest, and when we land we shall know what to do with you.” The Count nodded, and quietly seated himself in a corner, almost out of sight of the others in the pale light. The Countess averted her eyes. I saw her deliberately turn to gaze, expressionless, at Smith, standing in the opposite corner, although I am sure she did not see him. “Well,” said Rice, still staring at the Count, “this is quite a shock to me. How did you get on the boat?” “No one stopped me,” replied the Count. “I’m sorry I have disturbed you.”