Tid FOR THE FLAG

advances, under the action of a propeller whose working
I intend to discover.

As for the second question, it is less certain that I shall
ever elucidate it.

In my opinion, this mysterious personage must have a
special reason for concealment, and Iam afraid I shall
get no hint ofhis nationality. Although the Count speaks
English fluently—I had been able to assure myself of that
on his. visit to Pavilion 17—-he does so with a rough
vibrating accent not to be found among northern peoples.
It reminds me of nothing I have heard in the course of
my travels in both hemispheres—except, perhaps, that
hardness characteristic of the idioms of the Malay speech ;
indeed, with his dark colour, olive bordering on copper,
his crisp hair, black as ebony, the glance of his deep-set
eyes, that shoots like a dart from motionless pupils, his
tall figure, the squareness of his shoulders, his remarkable
muscular development, denoting great physical strength, it
is not impossible that he may belong to one of the races of
the Far East.

In my opinion D’Artigas is an assumed name: and
so must be this title of Count. The schooner bears a
Norwegian name, but he certainly is not of Scandinavian
descent. He has nothing in common with- Northern
Europeans—neither their calm physiognomy, nor their
fair hair, nor the mild expression of their pale blue eyes.

Still, whoever he is, this man has carried off Thomas
Roch—and me—and he must have some evil design.

Now, is he acting for a foreign power or in his own