ns.

"Anything broken down, Louis?" asked Morris, as his watch-mate took a
seat at his side.

"Nothing at all," replied the owner. "Do you believe, Morris, that you
could keep a very important secret if the peace and happiness of your
best friends on earth depended upon it?"

"I know I could, even from my mother, from whom I never kept a secret
except once, when I heard the doctor say something about the health of
Blanche last winter, not long before we sailed in the yacht. I knew that
it would worry the life out of her," replied Morris very seriously.

"This is a case just like that; and if the secret came out it would
worry the life out of your mother and mine, and perhaps seriously affect
the health of Miss Blanche."

"There is my hand, and I will pledge myself to any honest secret you may
impart to me; for I know you would not lead me to do anything wrong."

"I would jump overboard before I would lead you astray, Morris,"
protested Louis as he took the offered hand, and the pledge was
exchanged.

It required two hours to tell the whole story of the operations of
Captain Mazagan, begun at Constantinople four months before, including
the discovery of the plot of the conspirators in the cafe at Gallipoli.

Morris was astonished at the explanation given him of several incidents
with which he was familiar. He quite agreed with Louis as to the
necessity of keeping the secret; for his mother would worry herself into
a fit of sickness if she learned the truth. He agreed that there was no
alternative between abandoning the excursion, which would be a great
grief to him, and confining the secret to those who now knew it; and he
repeated his pledge with more earnestness than before.

CHAPTER IV

THE POSITION OF THE THREE STEAMERS

The conference in the standing-room of the Maud ended, and all the "Big
Four" were in possession of the secret upon the keeping of which the
continuation of the delightful excursion voyage depended. They stood on
a perfect equality now, and each was as wise as the others. When Louis
went forward, Morris went with him; and after the result of the
interview had been announced, Scott grasped the hand of the newly
initiated, and Felix followed his example.

"I can see that you are all glad to keep me no longer in the dark," said
Morris. "You must have been walking on glass all the time for fear that
I should break through, and upset your plan to keep me behind the
curtain."

"Tha