"I thought of that," said Gordon.

The three men fumbled their way down the road to the plaza,
and saw, as soon as they turned into it, the great outlines
and the brilliant lights of an immense vessel, still more
immense in the darkness, and glowing like a strange monster of
the sea, with just a suggestion here and there, where the
lights spread, of her cabins and bridges. As they stood on
the shore, shivering in the cool night-wind, they heard the
bells strike over the water.

"It's two o'clock," said Bradley, counting.

"Well, we can do nothing, and they cannot mean to do much
to-night," Albert said. "We had better get some more sleep,
and, Bradley, you keep watch and tell us as soon as day
breaks."

"Aye, aye, sir," said the sailor.

"If that's the man-of-war that made the treaty with Messenwah,
and Messenwah turns up to-morrow, it looks as if our day would
be pretty well filled up," said Albert, as they felt their way
back to the darkness.

"What do you intend to do?" asked his secretary, with a voice
of some concern.

"I don't know," Albert answered gravely, from the blackness of