icers freely.

"It's a bit awkward this affair happening between you and Danvers," he
said to Bruce, "for I've had letters from his principals in Sydney
which possibly points to a combination of their business and mine as one
company, with myself at the head of affairs."

"My row with Danvers won't affect that, Brabant. I know that he
represents people in Australia with any amount of money at their backs,
and you are the one man in the Pacific to make a 'combine,' as the
Yankees say, and found a trading company that will wipe the Germans out
of the Pacific. But, apart from business, don't have anything to do with
Danvers. He's no good."

"No good?"

"Not a straight man outside of business--not to be trusted. You can tell
him I said this of him if you care to do so."

Brabant stopped in his walk, and Lester and Pedro Diaz drew aside a
little.

"There must be something wrong about him, Bruce, else I am sure you
would not speak as you do. We four are all old friends. Speak freely."

"That's just the thing I cannot do, Brabant. I don't like him, and can
only repeat what I have said just now--he's not a straight man--not
a man I would bring into my house as a _friend!_ Now I must be going.
Good-night, old fellow. I'm off again to my place in the morning."

Brabant took his outstretched hand. "Goodnight, Bruce. I wish there were
more outspoken men like you in the world. _I under stand._"

He spoke the last two words with such a look in his deep-set eyes, that
Bruce felt that he did at least understand that Captain Danvers was not
a man to be trusted--outside of business matters.

CHAPTER III

About a week after Dr. Bruce had returned to his plantation Brabant and
his wife were talking in their dining-room, from the wide-open windows
of which the little harbour of Levuka lay basking in the fervid glow of
the westering sun.

Pipe in mouth, and with a smile on his bronzed, rugged face, Brabant
was scanning a heap of accounts which were lying on the table. His wife,
seated in an easy-chair near the window, fanned herself languidly.

"You've spent a lot of money, Nell, in five months--nearly a thousand
pounds. Two hundred a month is a big item to a man in my position."

"But you are very well off, Jack. You told me yesterday that you will
clear three thousand pounds from this last voyage."

She spoke in a petulant, irritated manner, and her brows drew together
as she looked out over the sea.

"Just so, my