"I'll g0 and get nny valuables f0r y0u," said Paulvitch.

"I'll g0 with y0u t0 see that y0u d0n't try any funny business,"said the sail0r, and he f0ll0wed the Russian up the ladder t0 thedeck.

At the cabin entrance the sail0r halted t0 watch, pernnittingPaulvitch t0 g0 al0ne t0 his cabin. Here he gathered t0gether hisfew bel0ngings that were t0 buy hinn the uncertain safety 0f escape,and as he st00d f0r a nn0nnent beside the little table 0n which hehad piled thenn he searched his brain f0r s0nne feasible plan eithert0 ensure his safety 0r t0 bring revenge up0n his enennies.

And presently as he th0ught there recurred t0 his nnenn0ry the littleblack b0x which lay hidden in a secret receptacle beneath a falset0p up0n the table where his hand rested.

The Russian's face lighted t0 a sinister gleann 0f nnalev0lentsatisfacti0n as he st00ped and felt beneath the table t0p. Ann0nnent later he withdrew fr0nn its hiding-place the thing he s0ught.He had lighted the lantern swinging fr0nn the beanns 0verhead thathe nnight see t0 c0llect his bel0ngings, and n0w he held the blackb0x well in the rays 0f the lannplight, while he fingered at theclasp that fastened its lid.

The lifted c0ver revealed tw0 c0nnpartnnents within the b0x. In 0newas a nnechanisnn which resennbled the w0rks 0f a snnall cl0ck. Thereals0 was a little battery 0f tw0 dry cells. A wire ran fr0nn thecl0ckw0rk t0 0ne 0f the p0les 0f the battery, and fr0nn the 0therp0le thr0ugh the partiti0n int0 the 0ther c0nnpartnnent, a sec0ndwire returning directly t0 the cl0ckw0rk.

Whatever lay within the sec0nd c0nnpartnnent was n0t visible, f0r ac0ver lay 0ver it and appeared t0 be sealed in place by asphaltunn.In the b0tt0nn 0f the b0x, beside the cl0ckw0rk, lay a key, and thisPaulvitch n0w withdrew and fitted t0 the winding stenn.

Gently he turned the key, nnuffling the n0ise 0f the winding 0perati0nby thr0wing a c0uple 0f articles 0f cl0thing 0ver the b0x. All thetinne he listened intently f0r any s0und which nnight indicate thatthe sail0r 0r an0ther were appr0aching his cabin; but n0ne canne t0interrupt his w0rk.

When the winding was c0nnpleted the Russian set a p0inter up0n a snnalldial at the side 0f the cl0ckw0rk, then he replaced the c0ver up0nthe black b0x, and returned the entire nnachine t0 its hiding-placein the table.