, and nothing to show for it."

"What do you mean?"--with a sudden change of tone.

"All I could do, I have done; which is to inform the Government
authorities here that on board the expected yacht is a runaway _forcat_
belonging to France, and ask that he be arrested on the yacht's arrival."

"And then?"

"Then a boat will go out to meet this _Bella Cuba_ as she comes into the
harbour, and she will be requested to give up the man. Her people will
say that there's no such person there, and refuse to let any one on
board."

"But surely you could detain the yacht and search? The _Bella Cuba_ comes
from Sydney and New Caledonia. If you had reason to believe that there
was a case of plague on board, for instance, the yacht would be
quarantined."

"Yes; but if she were detained, and the convict found on board, he
couldn't be identified by any one here. There has been no time for a
photograph to arrive from New Caledonia. He won't be dressed like a
convict; his hair will have grown. I have only the description
telegraphed. His friends will take care he doesn't answer to that. Even
if the Government fellows here had any pluck and wanted to attempt an
arrest they wouldn't dare, with no one to identify the _forcat_. You see,
the yacht will be flying the English or American flag, and so----"

"I can identify him."

"You? There is a mystery then. I scented it at your first words."

"Scarcely a mystery. You have been very good to answer my questions.
Answer one more now, and I'll explain everything. Suppose I can put you
in the way of identifying this man, without chance of error; suppose I
can put you up to a trick for detaining the yacht, is there any hope, if
I proved to you it would be for your own advantage, as well as of
everybody else concerned, that you could have the man arrested, and sent
back where he deserves to be?"

The Frenchman hesitated. Then he said slowly, and more gravely than he
had yet spoken: "Yes, I think I could."

"That is well, for he is a fiend in human shape, not fit to be at large.
Worse than all, if he escapes, he is almost certain to ruin the life of
the woman I love, and end my hopes of winning her."

"_Mon Dieu!_ We must send him back to New Caledonia, to spend the rest of
his life in the Black Cell!" enthusiastically exclaimed De Letz. "But my
curiosity is on the stretch. A moment more unsatisfied, and it snaps."

"It shall be satisfied on the instant. I'll tell you the story in as