gs."

"In the circumstances I consider that personal," I glared at him.

"Well, you needn't, honest! To-night I'm presenting the gezabo with a
treasure box, and had really intended asking you to keep away from
dinner. That's why I'm laughing--your unintentional acquiescence is a
good omen!"

"Treasure box of what?" I demanded, knowing this was some of his
tomfoolishness, and irritated that he should have any heart for it.

"Keep your head down," he winked good-humoredly. "You'll know soon
enough."

"Tommy," I now excitedly caught him by the arms, "you've got a scheme!
What is it, old man? Tell me quick!" I shook him happily, for there was
something about his mysterious air that began to inspire me with hope.

"Very simple, son; very simple," he chuckled. "Surprisingly simple, and
that's why it'll get across. You sit in the cockpit and observe without
being observed, but I'll need your help in one thing: when you see me
get up and walk around my chair, you beat it, _pronto_, for this very
spot where we are now--and wait here. Understand? It's a nice secluded
spot, so you just wait till I come."

"Yes, but----"

"Never mind! Just do what your Uncle Tom says. Now it's dinner time and
I reckon Monsieur's starved--he always is! So I'll take my treasure
box--oh, by the way, you're not supposed to be in the cockpit, so don't
stir around!"

As he picked the thing up I saw that it was a little iron safe about ten
inches square--everybody knows the kind. Although small, it was heavy
and quite complete, possessing a combination lock of no small merit. In
the captain's quarters that Tommy and I now used as a dressing room I
had noticed a safe similar to this, and asked if it were the same,
whereupon he laughed, saying:

"Yes. Gates keeps his pipes in it, but I got him to flip the combination
on 'em for to-night. Well, here goes!" And a few minutes later as he
descended the stairs, I, with repressed excitement, stepped back to the
cockpit, taking a chair where I could see without being seen.

The dinner had scarcely begun when Monsieur, looking about, asked:

"Where's my boy Jack?"

"Where's Jack?" Tommy repeated, in a voice unnecessarily loud, I
thought. "Didn't you know about Jack? Why, he's in bad shape--maybe die,
for all I know!"

I must say that the professor looked genuinely concerned, and would have
left at once to doctor me had not Tommy sternly interposed. Across the
carpeted floor of the dim passageway t