his desk. "Don't you attach any
importance to the theft of that photo from my chronometer case? That
wasn't taken by any native thief. Never mind what picture it was, or
what value I placed on it; whoever took it didn't swipe it for the value
of it to them. Then this mysterious woman turns up as soon as we haul
alongside, and now Rolfe tells me that the fo'c'sle hands say Mindjee
slipped ashore as we came up the river, and a search proves it."

"Mindjee? The Malay who had the wheel that night? No, sir! He's
certainly not on board now," exclaimed Little, a queer bewilderment
creeping into his face. "But he didn't swim ashore, unless he swam
mighty fast and then ran some. I just saw Mindjee back of the godown!
Thought you had sent him ashore for something, so didn't notice him
particularly. Wouldn't have remembered which of the brown-skins it was,
if it hadn't happened to be the one at the wheel when that knife was
buzzed at your head."

"Behind the godown? Where? What doing? Where was he going?" Barry was
alert now.

"I only saw him over Mrs. Goring's shoulder as I talked to her. He was
sliding along pretty fast towards the stockade."

"Then the fun starts right now, Little," said Barry quietly. "From now
on, never go without your artillery and keep a hand on the butt, no
matter whether it's man, woman, or missionary you're talking to. Come
on. I'll post the mate; then we'll walk up and interview Mr. Gordon."

Jerry Rolfe appeared surprised, and in a measure chagrined, to find that
the second mate had not yet asked leave to go ashore. His opinion of the
big Hollander was an open secret in the ship. It was easy to see that
the total destruction of the _Barang_ and her people would have better
fitted in with that opinion than the safe and expert passage of the
tortuous river to a snug berth.

"You ain't going to trust that fellow with a gun, sir?" the mate
demanded, after receiving Barry's orders.

"Why not?" returned the skipper, with a frown. "You must drive that
notion out of your head, Rolfe, or you won't be able to trust anybody.
We need all the men we can depend on, and I want you and Vandersee to
pull together. I trust him, so does Mr. Little, and so does Houten,
obviously. You and he will remain in charge of your regular watches,
though you need not keep sea watches, and right now you'll decide whom
you can trust with arms. We may not have to use 'em; but there's a big
chance we will."

On the way to the