the
night, in his presence, he laughed and asked for the wigwag code which
Frank had used.

"So that is the meeting of the chiefs?" Ned asked. "They are there to
sign the treaty of rebellion?"

"Something of the sort," was the reply. "At least, they were there to
pass upon the treaty. Now, they'll duck. That is, they will if you boys
succeed in getting away from them."

"Do you know where they will go?" asked Ned.

"Look here," French said, "I'm not in a position to tell you anything
about what they may or may not do. I rather like you boys, and I'd tell
you all I know if I could do so decently. But I can't. To be frank with
you, I'm wishing you'll outrun the boats that will come after you. I
have had my pay for what I've done for the rebels, and the money is
buried with a friend at Hong Kong. I don't care about meeting them
again, to tell you the truth, and this being captured is an easy way out
of it. Now, I'll give you my parole not to try to get away, not to try
any tricks, if you let me walk about as I please."

"He's all right!" Jack put in. "He's a good fellow, all right. I vote
that we give him his freedom."

"Here, too!" cried Frank.

"But I don't want my freedom!" French said. "At least not until you can
land me where these pirate chiefs can't get hold of me. I imagine they
would blame me for the trouble they're in."

"They are meeting to sign the treaty of rebellion," Ned said. "Now,
perhaps you can tell me when the war is to begin?"

"Right away."

"Who drew the treaty?" asked the boy.

"Some chap high up!" laughed French.

"And who has possession of it?"

"There are two keys to the box. One is held by the author of the
treaty."

"And the other?" asked Ned with a knowing smile.

"By the American in charge of the party on the island," answered French.
"Let me tell you this, though," he added, "you'll never see the treaty,
even if you win. Also, you'll never know the name of the author of it,
or the name of the man who has the second key to the treaty box. You've
found out something about the conspiracy against the government, but
you'll never know who organized it, or why!"

CHAPTER X.

A HOT NIGHT IN YOKOHAMA.

Ned Nestor stood on the deck of the steamship, and the steamship was
entering the harbor of Yokohama, which opens from Tokyo bay, the bay
from the Sagani Sea, the sea from the Pacific ocean. In the cabin of the
steamship were Frank Shaw, Jack Bosworth and Jimmie McGraw