in the face and voice of the American that quelled
the riotous disorder.

"You fools!" he shouted, "take warning! I have told you that I would not
turn the guns of England and America against you unless you turned
against me. I am your friend--but, by the great Mohammed you'll pay for
my life with every one of your own if you resort to violence. Listen!
To-day I learned that my life was threatened. I sent a message in the
air to the nearest battleship. There is not an hour in the day or night
that I or the people in the chateau cannot call upon our governments for
help. My call to-day has been answered, as I knew it would be. There is
always a warship near at hand, my friends. It is for you to say whether
a storm of shot and shell--"

Von Blitz leaped upon a platform and shouted madly: "Fools! Don't
believe him! He cannot bring der ships here! He lies--he lies! He--"

At that moment, a shrill clamour of voices arose in the distance--the
cries of women and children. Chase's heart gave a great bound of joy. He
knew what it meant. The crowd turned to learn the cause of this sudden
disturbance. Across the square, coming from the town, raced the women
and children, gesticulating wildly and screaming with excitement.

Chase pointed his finger at Von Blitz and shouted:

"I can't, eh? There's a British warship standing off the harbour now,
and her guns are trained--"

But he did not complete the astounding, stupefying sentence. The women
were screaming:

"The warship! The warship! Fly! Fly!"

In a second, the entire assemblage was racing furiously, doubtingly, yet
fearfully toward the pier. Von Blitz and Rasula shouted in vain. They
were left with Chase, who smiled triumphantly upon their ghastly faces.

"Gentlemen, they are not deceived. There _is_ a warship out there. You
came near to showing your hand to-night. Now come along with me, and
I'll show my hand to you. Rasula, you'd better draw in your claws.
You're entitled to some consideration. But Von Blitz! Jacob, you are
standing on very thin ice. I can have you shot to-morrow morning."

Von Blitz sputtered and snarled. "It is all a lie! It is a trick!" He
would have drawn his revolver had not Rasula grasped his arm. The native
lawyer dragged him off toward the pier, half-doubting his own senses.

Just outside the harbour, plainly distinguishable in the moonlight, lay
a great cruiser, her searchlights whipping the sky and sea with long
white lashes.

The gapin