ner's name on, it would
serve."

Suddenly there came a hail from the crippled launch which was being
brought in under oars.

"Mr. Nagge there?"

"Yes, Svenson," was the reply, "what is it?"

"They smashed our engine all to bits," answered the engineer of the
boat, "but we've just picked up another boat, empty."

"That's the boat," said the agent with satisfaction in his voice. "Now
we've got them!"

A smile, a very faint smile, crossed the features of the Japanese
leader.

"What's the name on the stern of the boat?" the agent called.

There was a moment's pause, then came the answer in tones of deep
disgust:

"The name's been painted out!"

The agent looked round despairingly and caught Colin's look of sympathy.

"The slippery Oriental again!" the boy said.

"Not quite slippery enough this time, though," said Hank in a voice
which betrayed a discovery.

"What do you mean?" asked the agent.

"Uncle Sam's gettin' into the game," he answered, pointing out to sea.

"The revenue cutter?"

"Hm, hm," grunted the whaler in assent, "I reckon I can see her lights."

No one else could see anything in the fog and darkness, but a minute or
two later there came a flash, followed by a dull "boom."

Hank turned to the Japanese leader.

"Pity to spoil that yarn o' yours," he said, "but your ship can't run
away from quick-firin' guns without a wind."

CHAPTER IV

CATCHING THE SEA-SERPENT

There was great excitement in the village the next day when the revenue
cutter brought in the Japanese raiding schooner and her crew. The boat
that had successfully reached the ship had already begun to load her
quota of sealskins, and the men had not thrown them overboard, believing
that they could get away. Consequently, with the evidence of the raid
ashore and with the seals in the boat belonging to the schooner from
which witnesses had seen the crew go on board, the case was complete.

"What are you going to do with the prisoners?" asked Colin. "Are you
going to put them on trial here?"

"Not here," the agent replied. "The Federal Courts look after that."

"But I thought you were a judge," the boy protested. "Who administers
justice on the islands?"

"The chief agent," was the reply. "He is a magistrate. All the natives
are employees of the Fisheries Bureau. He has a lot of authority over
them. Obviously! But any really grave case is tried at Valdez, because
that's the nearest Federal court from here. Seali