"If not--"

That was all, save that in place of a signature there was a splotch of
red sealing wax. The wax had been stamped with an iron seal. The mark of
the seal was that of the Radical Clan--the same as that on the envelope
which contained the diamonds.

"And that, I suppose," whispered Johnny to himself, "means that if I do
not leave the diamonds where I am told to I shall be flattened out like
that drop of wax."

Switching out the light, he opened the blinds and took his old seat by
the window. He was at once absorbed in thought. So all his dodging and
twisting had not served to throw them off his track. They had discovered
his den. And he must give up the diamonds and--

"If not--"

Those two words stood out as plainly before him as if they were flashed
forth from an electric sign on the roof across the river.

He was half minded to give the diamonds up, but not to those rascals.
No, he would allow one of their spies to trail him to the Custom House,
and there, before the man's very eyes, Johnny would take out the
envelope with the seal plainly showing, and hand the diamonds in as
smuggled goods.

There was but one objection to this plan; he still had a strange fancy
that someway Cio-Cio-San had a rightful interest in those gems. At
least, he was not sure she did not have. Until he had determined the