chever way the judge decides.
It was only Solomon who could satisfy everybody."

"Clear the room!" shouted the bailiff.

Captain Carg's men took the empty chest back to the launch. The captain
followed them, after pressing the hand of his young master, who said:
"Wait for orders, Captain." Uncle John took his flock back to the hotel,
where they gathered in his room and held an indignation meeting. Here it
was safe to give full vent to their chagrin and disappointment.

"Every bit of honest evidence was on our side," declared Maud. "I shall
never be able to understand why we lost."

"Bribery and corruption," said Flo. "I'll bet a cookie Le Drieux divided
the reward with the judge."

"I suppose it's all up with Ajo now," sighed Beth, regretfully.

"Yes," replied Colby, who had accompanied them; "there is nothing more to
be done for him at present. From the judge's order there is no appeal,
in such a case. Mr. Jones must go to Vienna for trial; but there he may
secure an acquittal."

"He is very brave, I think," said Patsy. "This affair must have hurt his
pride, but he smiles through it all. In his condition of health, the
confinement and humiliation may well shorten his life, yet he has made
no murmur."

"He's good stuff, that boy," commented Uncle John. "Perhaps it is due to
that John Paul blood his father was so proud of."

When Arthur went into the lobby a little later he found Le Drieux seated
comfortably and smoking a long cigar. The pearl expert nodded to the
young ranchman with so much evident satisfaction that Arthur could not
resist engaging him in conversation.

"Well, you won," he remarked, taking a vacant chair beside Le Drieux.

"Yes, of course," was the reply; "but I'll admit that fellow Andrews is a
smooth one. Why, at one time he had even me puzzled with his alibis and
his evidence. That flash of the pearls was the cleverest trick I ever
heard of; but it didn't go, I'd warned the judge to look out for a scoop.
He knew he was dealing with one of the most slippery rogues in
captivity."

"See here, Le Drieux," said Arthur; "let us be honest with one another,
now that the thing is settled and diplomacy is uncalled for. Do you
really believe that Jones is Jack Andrews?"

"Me? I know it, Mr. Weldon. I don't pose as a detective, but I'm
considered to have a shrewd insight into human character, and from the
first moment I set eyes on him I was positive that Jones was the famous
Jack Andrews. I can