"I saw only his figure at the window," he said, "and only for an instant. He was assisted in, and then after a time, the lights were lowered, or extinguished entirely."
"So that is why you didn't loiter around!" cried the Captain, "You thought they had gone to bed! Are you sure you did not stop and listen to what was said?"
"I went to bed at once," was the sullen reply.
"Did you see them burning matches after the lights were out?" asked Ned.
"I could not see the interior of the hut from my bed," replied the Filipino, with flashing eyes.
"Well, don't get hot about it," advised the Captain. "Go on, Ned."
"The matches burned," Ned went on, "were not of the kind kept in stock here, the sort supplied by you to your guests. There is a difference in the shape and size of the stick. The paper which I found in the alcove is part of an official letter dealing with the situation we came here to look into. It is more than half burned, so little can be learned from it."
"It is a wonder they didn't see that it was entirely destroyed," suggested Frank.
"It may be," Ned replied, "that they intended to burn the hut after their departure, and left the paper blazing."
"That is just about it!" cried the Captain.