the bottom of the sea. We
had a faithful friend, however, who is a business man, and it was he who
discovered some time ago that some of the securities which my father
had with him had reappeared on the London market. You can imagine our
amazement. I spent months in trying to trace them, and at last, after
many doubtings and difficulties, I discovered that the original seller
had been Captain Peter Carey, the owner of this hut.

"Naturally, I made some inquiries about the man. I found that he had
been in command of a whaler which was due to return from the Arctic seas
at the very time when my father was crossing to Norway. The autumn of
that year was a stormy one, and there was a long succession of southerly
gales. My father's yacht may well have been blown to the north, and
there met by Captain Peter Carey's ship. If that were so, what had
become of my father? In any case, if I could prove from Peter Carey's
evidence how these securities came on the market it would be a proof
that my father had not sold them, and that he had no view to personal
profit when he took them.

"I came down to Sussex with the intention of seeing the captain, but
it was at this moment that his terrible death occurred. I read at the
inquest a description of his cabin, in which it stated that the old
logbooks of his vessel were preserved in it. It struck me that if I
could see what occurred in the month of August, 1883, on board the SEA
UNICORN, I might settle the mystery of my father's fate. I tried
last night to get at these logbooks, but was unable to open the door.
To-night I tried again and succeeded, but I find that the pages which
deal with that month have been torn from the book. It was at that moment
I found myself a prisoner in your hands."

"Is that all?" asked Hopkins.

"Yes, that is all." His eyes shifted as he said it.

"You have nothing else to tell us?"

He hesitated.

"No, there is nothing."

"You have not been here before last night?"

"No.

"Then how do you account for THAT?" cried Hopkins, as he held up the
damning notebook, with the initials of our prisoner on the first leaf
and the blood-stain on the cover.

The wretched man collapsed. He sank his face in his hands, and trembled
all over.

"Where did you get it?" he groaned. "I did not know. I thought I had
lost it at the hotel."

"That is enough," said Hopkins, sternly. "Whatever else you have to
say, you must say in court. You will walk down with me now