Thus surrounded, the unhappy man found himself in the unpleasant position of being discovered in the perpetration of an untruth, or of being compelled to invent some feasible tale in order to account for his not being able to produce the ring.

It was at this juncture that he made his great mistake.

Anxious, doubtless, to attract attention, he returned from his cabin with the astounding declaration that the lock had been forced, and the famous ring stolen from his trunk in which it had lain concealed.

He certainly acted his part well, but he did not realize to what consequences it would lead.

The matter was reported to the police, and a search was made through the vessel.