k-house behind our
backs?"

"I do," nodded Powell Seaton, coldly.

"That man, sir, was Jasper. To-day, when we are out trying to trace
Anson Dalton over the open sea, I find that same fellow, Jasper,
trying to cut the parallel wires of the aerial. Why should he do that
unless he means to try to prevent our catching up with Dalton? Now,
sir, putting two and two together, doesn't it seem mighty reasonable
to suspect that Jasper overheard what we were saying the other night,
and then watched his chance to steal the papers that you and I thought
were so safely hidden in the cupboard at the bungalow? I know, Mr.
Seaton, you feel that you have some reason for suspecting us boys. In
view of what happened the other night, and again this afternoon, isn't
it a whole lot more sensible to trace your misfortunes to Jasper?"

Powell Seaton, whose daze had continued ever since starting on this
cruise, now pondered deeply, with knitted brows. At last, however, he
looked up quickly, holding out his right hand, as he exclaimed:

"Halstead, I begin to believe that I have been too hasty and
suspicious. I have hated myself for distrusting any of you boys, and
yet----"

"And yet," smiled Tom, "you are beginning to feel that there is not as
much reason for suspecting us as there is for believing that the guilt
of a mean theft lies at someone else's door."

"I beg you to forgive me, Halstead, you and your mates. But I hardly
know what I am thinking or saying. My mind is in too deep a turmoil."

"We'll forget it, Mr. Seaton," continued Halstead, as he pressed the
other's hand. "_I_ can, easily, and I hope you'll do your best to
believe that you can trust us as fully as others have done."

"You may just as well come forward, Hepton," hailed Captain Tom, a few
moments later. "And I want to thank you for the way you stood by me
when I needed help so badly."

"Ever since we've been at the island I've felt that I didn't believe
any too much in that man Jasper," muttered Hepton. "He has been acting
queer some of the time."

"How?" asked Mr. Seaton.

"Well, for one thing, he always wanted the night guard duty. And he
growled at taking the porch or the dock. What he wanted to do was to
roam off about the island by himself. Whenever he came back he wanted
to sit in your sitting-room, at the bungalow, and the fellow scowled
if some of the rest of us showed any liking for staying in that
sitting-room."

"What do you make of that, sir?" ask