It was the matter of few moments only to secure the papers from the
court clerk. There was quite a bundle of them, some of them sealed.
Apparently the thief, elated over his success in stealing them, had
indulged himself in his beloved drug before he had even taken the
trouble to examine fully into his finds. One paper, however, had been
opened and seemed to be, as Frank could not help noticing, a sort of
document containing "General Orders" to the expedition.

It consisted of several closely typewritten pages, and on the first
one Frank lit on the magic words,--"--AND CONCERNING THE SHIP OF OLAF,
THE VIKING ROVER, YOU WILL PROCEED ACROSS THE BARRIER, USING ALL
DISCRETION, AS A RIVAL NATION HAS ALSO SOME INKLING OF THE PRESENCE OF
THE LONG-LOST VESSEL AND,--"

Though the boy would have given a good deal to do so he felt that he
could not honorably read more. He resolutely, therefore, closed the
paper and restored it to its place in the mass of other documents.
There was, of course, no question that the papers were the property of
Captain Hazzard, and that the Jap had stolen them. The latter was
therefore sentenced to spend the next six weeks on Blackwell's Island,
by the expiration of which time the Southern Cross would be well on
her voyage toward The Great Barrier.

As the boys left the court, having been told that Captain Hazzard's
papers would be sealed and restored him when he called for them and
made a formal demand for their delivery, they were deep in excited
talk.

"Well, if this doesn't beat all," exclaimed Frank, "we always seem to