ste their time
on him. He's negligible."

"Well?" said I, for I was not in the mood for a political discussion.

"Well, suppose he never turned up?" said Holgate, and leaned back and
stared at me.

"I don't understand," said I. "I don't suppose he will turn up. As you
say, he's done for."

"I mean that the ship might founder," said Holgate, still holding me
with his eye.

I was perplexed, and seeing it, he laughed.

"Let us make no bones about it," he said, laying down his cigar.
"Here's a discarded prince whom no one wants, sailing for no one knows
where, with his fortune on board and no one responsible for him. Do you
take me now?"

"I'm hanged if I do," I replied testily, for indeed I had no thought of
what the man was driving at. But here it came out with a burst.

"Doctor, all this is in our hands. We can do what we will. We're
masters of the situation."

I opened my mouth and stared at him. The broad swarthy face loomed like
a menace in the uncertain light before us. It was dark; it was
inscrutable; a heavy resolution was marked in that thick neck, low
brow, and salient chin. We eyed each other in silence.

"But this is monstrous," I said with a little laugh. "You have not
brought me here for a silly jest?"

"It's God's truth I haven't, doctor," he replied earnestly. "I mean
what I say. See, the prince carries away a million, and if the prince
disappears the million belongs to those who can find it. Now, we don't
want any truck with dismounted princes. We're playing for our own hand.
I know you take sensible views on these matters. I admit it makes one
blink a bit at first, but stick on to the idea, turn it round, and
you'll get used to it. It spells a good deal to poor devils like you
and me."

"You must be mad," I said angrily, "or----" He interrupted me.

"That's not my line. I'm in dead sober earnest. You hold on to the
notion, and you'll come round to it. It's a bit steep at first to the
eye. But you hang on to it like a sensible man."

"Good Heavens, man," said I, "are you plotting murder?"

"I never mentioned that," he said in another voice. "There are several
ways. It don't do to take more risks than you want. A ship can be cast
away, and parties can be separated, and one party can make sure of the
boodle. See?"

"I only see that you're an infernal ruffian," I replied hotly.

His countenance did not change. "Hang on to it," he said, and I could
have laughed in his face at the prepost