, anxious to
have done with the by-play, "and tell me where to look for him, I'll go
and see what I can do for you. How much was he to give you?"

"Barrels!"

The sailor paused and stretched his hands above his head, the bottle
glistening in one of them. "He was to pile the greenbacks up so
high--for me to wade in, and wipe my feet on. You can't find him."

There was a stealthy movement on the stairs, and a movement not so
stealthy at the door. Ned heard a hand moving over the bamboo, and made
ready for a spring. He had no idea who the visitor might be, but his
manner of approach showed him to be no friend of the sailor's.

There were no more sounds at the door, and Ned glanced casually in that
direction. The candle on the wobbling shelf gave forth little light, and
that seemed to grow more shadows than rays of illumination. The shadows
seemed deepest and most uncertain of form at the door, but, at the
center of the odd-shape panel in the middle of the door he thought he
saw a malevolent eye looking forth into the room.

He wondered if an eye was really there, or if, his imagination stirred
by the weird scene and the fairy history of Japan which the sailor had
repeated, he was seeing things not present to the senses!

In a moment there was no doubt, for the malevolent eye left the aperture
and there was again a fumbling at the door. Ned made no motion, but sat
as if unconscious of any intruder being there. He knew that the person
at the door was there to watch the sailor, to see that he did not talk
too much, to see that he did not leave Yokohama until the trap of
treason had been fully set and baited.

There was no doubt in the mind of the boy now that he had found the man
he had set out in quest of. Of course the man who had planned the
conspiracy, who was doubtless assisting the tribes to arms and
ammunition by way of the unpatrolled China Sea, was the one he aimed to
reach in time. The sailor was only a link in the chain which led to the
object sought.

The mind of the boy was not at that time much concerned with thoughts
for his own safety although he could never be in more deadly peril than
he was at that moment when he was looked at through the opening in the
door. His one idea was to get a view of the spy, and with this object in
view he arose and stepped toward the door.

"You're getting sleepy," he said to the sailor, "and I'll go out and get
a little fresh air while you sleep. I shall not be far awa