208 FOR THE FLAG

bottom of the lagoon, with a stone tied to my neck!
It is well to know! Then in answer to Serko’s last
words I said,—

“ Quite serious, I assure you.”

“Ah, well,” continued my interlocutor, “if I had the
honour to be Simon Hart, I would argue to myself thus:
granting, on one side, Ker Karraje’s personality, the
reasons which have induced him to choose so mysterious
a hiding-place as this cavern, the necessity that the said
cavern should baffle all attempts at discovery, not only in
the interests of Count D’Artigas, but also of his com-
panions—”

“ Of his accomplices, if you will allow me.”

“Of his accomplices, be it so!—and on the other hand,
granting that you know Count D’Artigas’ real name
and the mysterious strong box where our riches are
stored—”

“Tll-gotten gain, and soiled with blood, M. Serké.”

“So be it, again! You must understand that this
question of liberty can never be solved to your liking.”

Discussion was useless under these conditions. So I
shifted the conversation to another line.

“Might I know,” I asked, “how you have learned that
Gaydon the keeper is Simon Hart the engineer ? ”

“There is no reason why I should not tell you, my
dear colleague. /It was rather by chance. We had some
business with the works to which you were attached, and
which you left one day, under circumstances sufficiently
singular. Now during a visit I paid to Healthful House,