This story, which was the Camera Chap’s invention, was true enough--as far as it went. She explained that she had been out motor boating in the bay with a young man, a friend from the United States. The motor-boat trip had started out most delightfully, but just as the boat arrived in the vicinity of the fortress, her companion had spoiled the whole evening for her by suddenly falling or jumping overboard. What had become of him she did not know. She feared that he might have been killed by the harbor sharks. What had happened after that, Captain Reyes knew as well as she did; screaming with terror, she had headed the boat toward the fortress, and had fallen fainting into the arms of the sentry. When Captain Reyes and, later, the commandant of the garrison, had asked her to tell the name of her man companion who had been unfortunate enough to fall overboard, she declared, with a blush, that she would rather not give that information, as the man was not in the good graces of her father, and she feared that she would get into trouble at home if the fact that she had been with him should come out. Greatly to her astonishment, they had appeared to be satisfied with this ingenuous explanation which she and Hawley had expected would prove to be the weakest part of her story. The Camera Chap had instructed her that if this evasion should prove ineffectual, and the inquisitors should insist upon her telling the name of her escort, she was finally to give them the information, since her refusal to do so might get her into trouble. Virginia had secretly resolved to disregard her ally’s instructions in this respect. She had made up her mind that she would languish in a Baracoan dungeon for the rest of her days before she would mention the Camera Chap’s name. But, fortunately, it did not come to that. The commandant said courteously that he would respect Miss Throgmorton’s wishes in the matter, and not force her to make any revelations which were embarrassing to her. Later on, Virginia learned the explanation of this astonishing forbearance, but it did not occur to her, then, that the reason they did not press her for the name of her companion might be that the name was known to them already. Expressing deep sympathy for her alarming experience, the gallant commandant of El Torro had offered her refreshments, and then assigned Captain Reyes to escort her home.