“You are right,” the Jap declared, turning his face toward them. “You are not the man.” “You are sure of it?” “I am sure of it. He has a slight scar on the side of his face. Except for that you look exactly like him.” “Then it’s indeed fortunate for me that he has the scar,” Rogers smiled. “It is,” the Jap agreed. “But I owe you the most humble apology.” “No. It was a mistake and a natural one. But I do wish you would tell us all about it. But first, we are looking for the third member of our party. Have you seen him?” “He is in there and safe.” “But I didn’t——” “No, you didn’t see him because he’s covered up. Gordon,” he called. But Gordon had been able to catch most of the conversation and now appeared in the doorway. “I thought it would be all right to come out,” he smiled looking at his late captor. “Certainly,” the Jap cried, as he sprang to untie his hands. “And anything I can do to atone for——” “That’s all right, old man,” Gordon declared. “I heard most of what you said and I don’t believe that, under the circumstances, I would have been as patient as you have been. Shake.” Five minutes later they were all inside the hut and Ito was telling his story. “A little more than three months ago,” he began, “I was a happy man. I had worked my way through the University of California and was settled in a business which was paying good money. But I had a partner who proved to be a bad man. We had the agency of the Buick car and were selling many and making big money. But he was mad that he had to divide with me and wanted it all. But I never suspected him of treachery until one day I spattered some acid on my hand and it made a number of sores. I showed him and he seemed very sympathetic. But a few days later a man came into the store and said he was Doctor Horn from the health department. He looked at my hand and said I was a leper and——well——what could I do? “I told him what had happened to my hand but he claimed that I was telling a lie and that it was a clear case of leprosy. I had no one to whom I could go and he didn’t give me time if I had. That very afternoon I was on a boat bound for Molokai.” “But the authorities here,” Rogers said, “they must have known that it wasn’t leprosy.” “Of course, but I suppose they were bribed. You see I was taken to one of the smaller houses in the colony and I don’t believe the real authority knew that I was there. I was closely guarded by a real leper and I believe the idea was to impart the disease to me as soon as possible.” “What a fiendish scheme,” Bill declared. “Worse than that,” Gordon added. “But I managed to escape,” the Jap continued, “and for more than two months I have been hunted. But they never found me and, pray God, they never shall.” “Amen,” Rogers said under his breath. “Well, the other day, I saw your plane and then I saw you and you can, perhaps, imagine my feelings when I thought I recognized you as the man who had sent me here.”