The captain seemed rather ashamed of his fears in face of this bantering, and besides, some of his crew had laughed, which still further disconcerted him. A rope fell coiling through the air, and came slap on deck. “Hang tight aloft there,” cried Stranleigh, as he jerked the rope taut, swung himself free of his own boat, and clambered up the black cliff of the _Rajah_ hand over hand, feet against the side like a monkey. CHAPTER VII--THE CAPTAIN OF THE “RAJAH” STRIKES OIL THE captain strode gloomily to the evil-smelling den he called the cabin, and Stranleigh went down the steps with him, seating himself at the table. “Now, captain,” he began, “can we be overheard?” “No, sir.” “Well, I come here as your friend. I want to save you, if possible.” “Save me?” “Yes.” “I don’t need any saving.” “Yes, you do, and a good deal of it. I thought at first that Frowningshield was the sole culprit, and that you were merely an innocent victim. I learned to-day that such was not the case; in fact, I surmised it before, because when you assisted in planting those mines across the Paramakaboo River you must have known you were committing a capital offense.” “Then it wasn’t an accident; you _did_ send down the logs?” “Of course I did.” “You watched us ever since we arrived there?” “Yes, I came from England for that purpose. I left a week after you did, and was there a week before you, more or less. My man, Mackeller, whom you kidnapped on board this steamer at Southampton----” “I didn’t kidnap him, sir. It was Frowning-shield.” “Oh, I know all about it. Mackeller is on my boat now, within three hundred yards of where you are sitting. He was up on the hilltop with a telescope, scrutinizing every action of yours since you landed.” “But I’m compelled to obey orders.” “Oh, no, you aren’t. If you are ordered to do a criminal action, you must not only refuse, but you are in honor bound to give information to the authorities.” “I had nothing to do with putting Mackeller into the hold. Frowningshield put him in, and I didn’t know he was there till we were more than a day out. It was me insisted he should be sent ashore with the pilot. Frowningshield wanted to take him with us.” “That’s neither here nor there, captain. Of course, whenever you knew a man had been kidnapped in that way aboard your ship, you should have turned, made straight back to Southampton, giving information to the authorities. But even if such an unlawful action did not arouse your suspicions you must have known perfectly well when you planted those mines that it wasn’t toy balloons you were putting in the water. It’s too late to pretend innocence. You’ve been bribed to commit a crime.” “The floating mines weren’t set in English waters.”