South Seas."

Lieutenant-Commander Martyn listened with intense interest to Barry's
strange story, from the time he came on board the _Mahina_ in Sydney
Harbour till the _Reynard_ was sighted.

"It is a perfect romance," he declared, "and you'll be quite a famous
man in the history of the South Seas. Now as to your prisoners. As
you have made the request I'll take them from you. My orders from the
Admiral are to follow out the High Commissioner's instructions 'to
maintain order and arrest all suspicious persons within the
jurisdiction of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,' and
these two fellows you have on board your vessel certainly come within
the category of 'suspicious persons'--to put it mildly. I am bound to
Noumea, New Caledonia, and from there I can send them on to Sydney or
Fiji for the trial--wish I could dispose of them both in the good
old-fashioned style, by dangling them from the end of the yard-arm.
Now as to this other man, Barradas. He seems to have made all the
amends possible in his power, but nevertheless he certainly was their
accomplice in the piracy of the vessel. This may mean from two to five
years' imprisonment for him--unless," he added carelessly, "he runs
away before you get to Sydney."

Barry rose, when the commander bade him be seated again. "Don't go
just yet, Mr. Barry. Take another whiskey-and-soda with me, and then
I'll go aboard your ship, take over the custody of those two anointed
scoundrels, and"--here he smiled--"ask to be introduced to the heroine
of your strange tale."

He touched the bell on the table and gave the necessary orders to the
sentry, and in a few seconds the boatswain's whistle called away one of
the boats which, with the commander and a junior lieutenant, left the
_Reynard_, together with Barry, who was in his own boat, but went
alongside the _Mahina_ first so as to receive the naval officer with
all due ceremony.

Stepping on the deck, Commander Martyn returned Barry's salute in the
usual naval manner--as if he had never before seen him in his life--and
asked to see the ship's papers. He was conducted to the cabin, and the
ship's papers and all other necessary documents bearing upon John
Tracey's rights of possession of Arrecifos laid before him for
examination.

"Everything is quite right, Mr. Barry," he said formally. "Now please
hand over your prisoners to Lieutenant Jenkins, who will take them away
immediately."

Then the coxsw