No, I am not even suspected.

If the contrary were the case I am sufficiently acquainted with Ker Karraje to know that he would long ago have sent me to rejoin Lieutenant Davon and the _Sword_ at the bottom of the lagoon.
The winter tempests have set in with a vengeance.

The wind howls though the hole in the roof, and rude gusts sweep through the forest of pillars producing sonorous sounds, so sonorous, so deep, that one might sometimes almost fancy they were produced by the firing of the guns of a squadron.

Flocks of seabirds take refuge in the cavern from the gale, and at intervals, when it lulls, almost deafen us with their screaming.
It is to be presumed that in such weather the schooner will make no attempt to put to sea, for the stock of provisions is ample enough to last all the season.

Moreover, I imagine the Count d'Artigas will not be so eager in future to show his _Ebba_ along the American coast, where he risks being received, not, as hitherto, with the consideration due to a wealthy yachtsman, but in the manner Ker Karraje so richly merits.
It occurs to me that if the apparition of the _Sword_ was the commencement of a campaign against the island, a question of great moment relative to the future of Back Cup arises.
Therefore, one day, prudently, so as not to excite any suspicion, I ventured to pump Engineer Serko about it.
We were in the neighborhood of Thomas Roch's laboratory, and had been conversing for some time, when Engineer Serko touched upon the extraordinary apparition of an English submarine boat in the lagoon.
On this occasion he seemed to incline to the view that it might have been a premeditated expedition against Ker Karraje.
"That is not my opinion," I replied, in order to bring him to the question that I wanted to put to him.
"Why ?" he demanded.
"Because if your retreat were known a fresh attempt, if not to penetrate to the cavern, at least to destroy Back Cup, would ere this have been made." "Destroy it!" cried Serko.