[Frontispiece: Hosier tightened a protecting arm around her waist]

THE STOWAWAY GIRL

By

LOUIS TRACY

AUTHOR OF

THE WINGS OF THE MORNING, SON OF THE IMMORTALS, CYNTHIA'S CHAUFFEUR, THE MESSAGE, THE SILENT BARRIER, ETC. 

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

NESBIT BENSON

NEW YORK

GROSSET & DUNLAP

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1909, 1912, By EDWARD J. CLODE

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

 I. THE "ANDROMEDA" II. WHEREIN THE "ANDROMEDA" BEGINS HER VOYAGE III. WHEREIN THE "ANDROMEDA" NEARS THE END OF HER VOYAGE IV. SHOWING WHAT BECAME OF THE "ANDROMEDA" V. THE REFUGEES VI. BETWEEN THE BRAZILIAN DEVIL AND THE DEEP ATLANTIC VII. CROSS PURPOSES VIII. THE RIGOR OF THE GAME IX. WHEREIN CERTAIN PEOPLE MEET UNEXPECTEDLY X. ON THE HIGH SEAS XI. A LIVELY MORNING IN EXCHANGE BUILDINGS XII. THE LURE OF GOLD XIII. THE NEW ERA XIV. CARMELA XV. SHOWING HOW BRAZIL CHOSE HER PRESIDENT XVI. WHEREIN THE PRESIDENT PRESIDES

ILLUSTRATIONS

Hosier tightened a protective arm around her waist . . . _Frontispiece_

"Is that the Southern Cross?"

"How did I come here?"

"Well, gimme your 'and on it"

A withering volley crashed through the window

THE STOWAWAY

CHAPTER I

THE "ANDROMEDA"

"Marry Mr. Bulmer! That horrid old man! Uncle, what _are_ you saying?"

The girl sprang to her feet as if she were some timid creature of thewild aroused from sylvan broodings by knowledge of imminent danger. Inher terror, she upset the three wineglasses that formed part of thedisplay beside each _couvert_ on the luncheon table. One, rose-tintedand ornate, crashed to the floor, and the noise seemed to irritate theowner of Linden House more than his niece's shrill terror. 

"No need to bust up our best set of 'ock glasses just because I 'appento mention owd Dickey Bulmer, " he growled. 

The color startled so suddenly out of the girl's face began to return. Her eyes lost their dilation of fear. Somehow, the comment on thebroken glass seemed to deprive "owd Dickey Bulmer's" personality of itsreal menace. 

"I'm sorry, " she said, and stooped to pick up the fragments scatteredover the carpet. 

"Leave that alone, " came the sharp order. "So long as I've the brassto pay for 'em, there's plenty more where that kem from, an' in anycase, it's the 'ousemaid's job. Leave it alone, I tell you! An' sitdown. It's 'igh time you an' me 'ad a straight talk, an' I can't dowi' folk bouncin' about like an injia-rubber ball when I've got thingsto say to 'em. "

He stretched a fat hand toward a mahogany cigar-box, affected to choosea cigar with deliberative crackling, hacked at the selection with afruit knife, and dropped the severed end into an unused finger-bowl;then he struck a match, and puffed furiously until a rim of white ashtipped the brown. This achieved, he helped himself to the port. Though he carefully avoided glancing at his companion, he knew quitewell that she had drawn a chair to the opposite end of the table, andwas looking at him intently; her chin was propped on her clenchedhands; the skin on her white forehead was puckered into nervous lines;her lips, pressed close, had lost their Cupid's bow that seemed everready to bend into a smile. Meanwhile, the man who had caused thesesigns of distress gulped down some of the wine, held the glass up tothe light as a tribute to the excellence of its contents, darted histongue several times in and out between his teeth, smacked his lips, replaced the cigar in his mouth, and leaned back in his chair until itcreaked. 

Iris Yorke was accustomed to this ritual; she gave it the unobservanttolerance good breeding extends to the commonplace. But to-day, forthe first time during the two years that had sped so happily since shecame back to Linden House from a Brussels _pension_, she found herself, even in her present trouble, wondering how it was possible that DavidVerity could be her mother's brother. This coarse-mannered hog of aman, brother to the sweet-voiced, tender-hearted gentlewoman whosegracious wraith was left undimmed in the girl's memory by the lapse ofyears--it would be unbelievable if it were not true! He was so gross, so tubby, so manifestly over-fed, whereas her mother had ever beenelegant and _bien soignée_. But he had shown kindness to her in hisdomineering way. He was not quite so illiterate as his accent and hisgeneral air of uncouthness seemed to imply. In his speech, the broadvowels of the Lancashire dialect were grafted on to the clippedstaccato of a Cockney. He would scoff at anyone who told him thatknives and forks had precise uses, or that table-napkins were not meantto be tucked under the chin. In England, especially in the provinces, some men of affairs cultivate these minor defects, deeming them tokensof bluff honesty, the hall-marks of the self-made; and David Veritythought, perhaps, that his pretty, well-spoken niece might be trustedto maintain the social level of his household without any specialeffort on his part. 

Shocked, almost, at the disloyalty of her thoughts, Iris tried to closethe rift that had opened so unexpectedly. 

"It was stupid of me to take you seriously, " she said. "You cannotreally mean that Mr. Bulmer wishes to marry me?"

Verity screwed up his features into an amiable grin. He pressed thetips of his fingers together until the joints bent backward. When hespoke, the cigar waggled with each syllable. 

"I meant it right enough, my lass, " he said. 

"But, uncle dear----"

"Stop a bit. Listen to me first, an' say your say when I've finished. Like everybody else, you think I'm a rich man. David Verity, Esquire, ship-owner, of Linden House an' Exchange Buildings--it looks all right, don't it--like one of them furrin apples with rosy peel an' a maggotinside. You're the first I've told about the maggot. Fact is, I'mbroke. Ship-ownin' is rotten nowadays, unless you've lots of capital. I've lost mine. Unless I get help, an' a thumpin' big slice of it, myname figures in the _Gazette_. I want fifty thousand pounds, an' oo'sgoin' to give it to me? Not the public. They're fed up on shippin'. They're not so silly as they used to be. I put it to owd Dickeyyesterday, an' 'e said you couldn't raise money in Liverpool to-day tobuild a ferry-boat. But 'e said summat else. If you wed 'im, 'e makesyou a partner in the firm of Verity, Bulmer an' Co. See? Wot's wrongwith that? I've done everything for you up to date; now it's yourturn. Simple, isn't it? P'raps I ought to have explained thingsdifferently, but it didn't occur to me you'd hobject to bein' the wifeof a millionaire, even if 'e is a doddrin' owd idiot to talk ofmarryin' agin. "

"Oh, uncle!"

With a wail of despair, the girl sank back and covered her face withher hands. Now that she believed the incredible, she could utter noprotest. The sacrifice demanded was too great. In that bitter momentshe would have welcomed poverty, prayed even for death, as thealternative to marriage with the man to whom she was being sold. 

Verity leaned over the table again and finished the glass of port. This time there was no lip-smacking, or other aping of the connoisseur. He was angry, almost alarmed. Resistance, even of this passive sort, raised the savage in him. Hitherto, Iris had been ready to obey hisslightest whim. 

"There's no use cryin' 'Oh, uncle, ' an' kicking up a fuss, " he snappedviciously. "Where would you 'ave bin, I'd like to know, if it wasn'tfor me? In the gutter--that's where your precious fool of a fatherleft your mother an' you. You're the best dressed, an' best lookin', an' best eddicated girl i' Bootle to-day--thanks to me. When yourmother kem 'ere ten year ago, an' said her lit'rary gent of a 'usbandwas dead, neither of you 'ad 'ad a square meal for weeks--rememberthat, will you? It isn't my fault you've got to marry Bulmer. It'sjust a bit of infernal bad luck--the same for both of us, if it comesto that. An' why shouldn't you 'ave some of the sours after I've givenyou all the sweets? You'll 'ave money to burn; I'm not axin' you togive up some nice young feller for 'im. If you play your cards well, you can 'ave all the fun you want----"

The girl staggered to her feet. She could endure the man's coarsenessbut not his innuendoes. 

"I will do what you ask, " she murmured, though there was a pitifulquivering at the corners of her mouth that bespoke an agony beyond therelief of tears. "But please don't say any more, and never againallude to my dear father in that way, or I may--I may forget what I oweyou. "

She was unconscious of the contempt in her eyes, the scornful ring inher voice, and Verity had the good sense to restrain the wrath thatbubbled up in him until the door closed, and he was alone. He grabbedthe decanter and refilled his glass. 

"Nice thing!" he growled. "I offer 'er a fortune an' a bald-'eaded owddevil for a 'usband, 'oo ought to die in a year or two an' leave 'ereverything; yet she ain't satisfied. D--n 'er eyes, if I'd keep 'er asscullery-maid she'd 'ave different notions. "

With the taste of the wine, however, came the consoling reflection thatIris as a scullery-maid might not tickle the fancy of the dotard whohad undertaken to provide fifty thousand pounds for the newpartnership. And she had promised--that was everything. His lack ofdiplomacy was obvious even to himself, but he had won where a man offiner temperament might have failed. Now, he must rush the wedding. Dickey Bulmer's Lancashire canniness might stipulate for cash ondelivery as the essence of the marriage contract. Not a penny wouldthe old miser part with until he was sure of the girl. 

So David Verity, having much to occupy his mind, lingered over thesecond glass of port, for this was a Sunday dinner, served at mid-day. At last he closed his eyes for his customary nap; but sleep was not tobe wooed just then; instead of dozing, he felt exceedingly wide awake. Indeed, certain disquieting calculations were running through hisbrain, and he yielded forthwith to their insistence. Taking a smallnotebook from his pocket, he jotted down an array of figures. He wasso absorbed in their analysis that he did not see Iris walk listlesslyacross the lawn that spread its summer greenery in front of thedining-room windows. And that was an ill thing for David. The sightof the girl at that instant meant a great deal to him. 

He did happen to look out, a second too late. 

Even then, he might have caught a glimpse of Iris's pink muslin skirtdisappearing behind a clump of rhododendrons, were not his shifty eyesscrewed up in calculation--or perchance, the gods blinded him in behalfof one who was named after Juno's bright messenger. 

"Yes, that's it, " he was thinking. "I must wheedle Dickey into thebank to-morrow. A word from 'im, an' they'll all grovel, d--n 'em!"

The door opened. 

"Captain Coke to see you, sir, " said a servant. 

"Send 'im in; bring 'im in 'ere. "

The memorandum book disappeared; Verity's hearty greeting was that of aman who had not a care in the world. His visitor's description waswrit large on him by the sea. No one could possibly mistake CaptainCoke for any other species of captain than that of master mariner. Hewas built on the lines of a capstan, short and squat and powerful. Though the weather was hot, he wore a suit of thick navy-blue sergethat would have served his needs within the Arctic Circle. It clungtightly to his rounded contours; there was a purple line on his redbrows that marked the exceeding tightness of the bowler hat he wascarrying; and the shining protuberances on his black boots showed thatthey were tight, too. It was manifestly out of the question that heshould be able to walk any distance. Though he had driven in a cab tothe shipowner's house, he was already breathless with exertion, and herolled so heavily in his gait that his shoulders hit both sides of thedoorway while entering the room. Yet he was nimble withal, a mancapable of swift and sure movement within a limited area, thereinresembling a bull, or a hippopotamus. 

The hospitable Verity pushed forward the mahogany box and the decanter. 

"Glad to see you, Jimmie, my boy. Sit yourself down. 'Ave a cigar an'a glass o' port. I didn't expect you quite so soon, but you're just aswelcome now as later. "

Captain Coke placed his hat on top of a malacca cane, and balanced bothagainst the back of a chair. 

"I'll take a smoke but no wine, thankee, Mr. Verity, " said he. "I kemalong now' 'coss I want to be aboard afore it's dark. We're moored inan awkward place. "

"Poor owd _Andromeeda_! Just 'er usual luck, eh, Jimmie?"

"Well, she ain't wot you might call one of fortune's fav'rits, butshe's afloat, an' that's more'n you can say for a good manydaisy-cutters I've known. "

Verity chuckled. 

"Some ships are worth less afloat than ashore, an' she's one of 'em, "he grinned. "You want a match. 'Ere you are!"

Whether Coke was wishful to deny or admit the _Andromeda's_shortcomings--even the ship herself might have protested against thehorror of a long "e" in the penultimate syllable of her name--the otherman's rapid proffer of a light stopped him. He puffed away in silence;there was an awkward pause; for once in his career, Verity regrettedhis cultivated trick of covering up a significant phrase by quicklyadding some comment on a totally different subject. But the sailorsmoked on, stolidly heedless of a sudden lapse in the conversation, andthe shipowner was compelled to start afresh. He was far too shrewd togo straight back to the topic burked by his own error. Hissledge-hammer methods might be crude to the verge of brutality whereIris was concerned, but they were capable of nice adjustment in thecase of wary old sea-dogs of the Coke type. 

"It's stuffy in 'ere with the two of us smokin'--let's stroll into thegarden, " he said. 

Coke was agreeable. He liked gardens; they were a change from thepurple sea. 

"It's the on'y bit of green stuff you seem to be fond of, Mr. Verity, "he went on. "You keep us crool short of vegetables. "

David's little eyes twinkled. Here was another opening; it would notbe his fault if it led again up a _cul-de-sac_. He threw wide thewindow, and they crossed the lawn. 

"Vegetables!" he cried. "Wish I could stock you from my place, an' I'dstuff you with 'em. I can grow 'em 'ere for next to nothing, but theycost a heap o' money in furrin ports, an' _your_ crimson wave-catcherdoesn't earn money--she eats it. "

"Even that's one better'n her skipper, 'oo doesn't do neether, "commented Coke gloomily. 

His employer seemed to find much humor in the remark. 

"Gad, we both look starved!" he guffawed. "To 'ear us, you'd think wewas booked for the workhus or till you ran a tape round the contoor, eh?"

But Coke was not to be cheered. 

"I can see as far into a stone wall as 'ere a one an' there a one, " hesaid, "an' there's no use blinkin' the fax. The _Andromeda_ was a goodship in 'er day, but that day is gone. You ought to 'ave sold 'er tothe Dutchmen five years ago, Mr. Verity. Times were better then, an'now you'd 'ave a fine steel ship instead of a box of scrap iron. "

They were passing the rhododendrons, and Verity's quick eyes noted thata summer-house beneath the shade of two venerable elms was unoccupied. The structure consisted of a rustic roof carried on half a dozenuprights; it had a wooden floor, and held a table and some basketchairs. The roof and supports were laden with climbing roses, aVirginian creeper, and a passion flower. The day being Sunday, therewere no gardeners in the adjoining shrubbery or rose garden, and anyoneseated in the summer-house could see on all sides. 

"Drop anchor in 'ere, Coke, " said Verity. "It's cool an' breezy, an'we can 'ave a quiet confab without bein' bothered. Now, I reelly sentfor you to-day to tell you I mean to better the supplies thistrip--Yes, honest Injun!"--for the _Andromeda's_ skipper had clutchedthe cigar out of his mouth with the expression of a man who vows toheaven that he cannot believe his ears--"I'm goin' to bung in an extry'undred to-morrow in the way of stores. Funny, isn't it?"

"Funny! It's a meracle!"

Though not altogether gratified by this whole-hearted agreement withhis own views, Verity was too anxious to keep his hearer on the presenttack to resent any implied slur on his earlier efforts as a caterer. 

"It's nothing to wot I'd do if I could afford it, " he added graciously. "But, as you said, let's look at the fax. Wot chance 'as an iron ship, built twenty years ago, at a cost of sixteen pound a ton, ag'in a steelship of to-day, at seven pound a ton, with twiced the cargo space, an'three feet less draught? W'y no earthly. We're dished every way. Wecost more to run; we can't jump 'arf the bars; we can't carry 'arf thestuff; we pay double insurance; an' we're axed to find interest onmore'n double the capital. As you say, Jimmie, wot bloomin' chanst'ave we?"

Coke smoked silently; he had said none of these things, but when theshipowner's glance suddenly dwelt on him, he nodded. Silentacquiescence on his part, however, was not what Verity wanted. He, too, knew when to hold his tongue. After a long interval, during whicha robin piped a merry roundelay from the depths of a neighboring pinkhawthorn, Coke dug out a question. 

"Premium gone up, then?" he inquired. 

"She's on a twelve-month rate. It runs out in September. If you'relucky, an' fill up with nitrate soon, you may be 'ome again. If not, I'll 'ave to whack up a special quotation. After that, there'll be noinsurance. The _Andromeeda_ goes for wot she'll fetch. "

Another pause; then Coke broached a new phase. 

"Meanin' that I lose the two thousand pounds I put in 'er to get myberth?" he said huskily. 

"An' wot about me? _I_ lose eight times as much. Just think of it!Sixteen thousand pounds would give me a fair balance to go on wi' i'these hard times, an' your two thou' would make the skipper's job in mynew ship a certainty. "

Coke's brick-red face darkened. He breathed hard. 

"Wot new ship?" he demanded. 

Verity smiled knowingly. 

"It's a secret, Jimmie, but I must stretch a point for a pal's sake. Dickey Bulmer's goin' to marry my niece, an' 'e 'as pledged himself todouble the capital of the firm. Now I've let the cat out of the bag. I'm sorry, ole man--pon me soul, I am--but w'en Dickey's name crops upon 'Change you know as well as me 'ow many captain's tickets will bebacked wi' t' brass. "

This time, if so minded, the robin might have trilled his song _adagiocon sostenuto_ without fear of interruption by those harsh voices. Neither man spoke during so long a time that the break seemed to imposea test of endurance; in such a crisis, he who has all at stake willyield rather than he who only stakes a part. 

"S'pose we talk plainly as man to man?" said Coke thickly, at last. 

"_I_ can't talk much plainer, " said Verity. 

"Yes, you can. Promise me the command of your next ship, an' theAndromeda goes on the rocks this side o' Monte Video. "

Verity jumped as though he had been stung by an infuriated wasp. 

"Coke, I'm surprised at you, " he grunted, not without a sharp glancearound to make sure no other was near. 

"No, you ain't, not a bit surprised, on'y you don't like to 'ear it incold English. That's wot you're drivin' at--the insurance. "

"Shut up, you ijjit. Never 'eard such d--d rot in all me born days. "

"Listen to it now, then. It's good to 'ave the truth tole you sometimes. Wot are you afraid of? I take all the risk an' precious littleof the money. Write me a letter----"

"Write! Me! Coke, you're loony. "

"Not me. Wait till I'm through. Write a letter sayin' you're sorrythe _Andromeda_ must be laid up this fall, but promisin' me the nextvacancy. 'Ow does that 'urt _you_?"

Verity's cigar had gone out. He relighted it with due deliberation; itcould not be denied that his nerve, at least, was superb. 

"I'm willin' to do anything in reason, " he said slowly. "I don't seewhere I can lay 'ands on a better man than you, Jimmie, even if you_do_ talk nonsense at times. You know the South American trade, an'you know me. By gad, I'll do that. Anyhow, it's wot you deserve, butnone the less, I'm actin' as a reel friend, now ain't I? Many a manwould just lay you up alongside the _Andromeeda_. "

"I'll call at your office in the mornin' for the letter, " said Coke, whose red face shone like the setting sun seen through a haze. 

"Yes, yes. I'll 'ave it ready. "

"An' you won't back out of them extry stores? I must sweeten the crewon this run. "

"I'll supply the best of stuff--enough to last for the round trip. Butdon't make any mistake. You must be back afore September 30th. That'sthe date of the policy. Now let's trot inside, an' my gal--Mrs. DickeyBulmer that is to be--will give you some tea. "

"Tea!" snorted Coke. 

"Well, there's whisky an' soda on tap if you prefer it. It _is_ rather'ot for tea. Whew! you're boilin'? W'y don't you wear looser clo'es?Look at me--cool as a cucumber. By the way, 'oo's the new man you'veshipped as second? Watts is the chief, I know, but 'oo is Mr. PhilipHozier?"

"Youngster fillin' in sea-service to get a ticket an' qualify for theCunard. "

"Thoroughly reliable sort of chap, eh?"

"The best. "

It was odd how these men left unsaid the really vital things. Again itwas Coke who tried to fill in some part of the blank space. 

"Just the right kind of second for the _Andromeda's_ last cruise, " hemuttered. "Smart as a new pin. You could trust 'im on the bridge of abattleship. Now, Watts is a good man, but a tot of rum makes 'im fairdaft. "

"Ah!" purred Verity, "you must keep a tight 'and on Watts. I like anappetizer meself w'en I'm off dooty, so to speak, but it's no joke to'ave a boozer in charge of a fine ship an' vallyble freight. Ofcourse, you're responsible as master, but you can't be on deck mornin', noon, an' night. Choke Watts off the drink, an' you'll 'ave notrouble. So that's settled. My, but you're fair meltin'--wot is itthey say--losin' adipose tisher. Well, come along. Let's lubricate. "

 * * * * * *

The _Andromeda_ sailed on the Tuesday afternoon's tide. She would dropthe pilot off Holyhead, and, with fair weather, such as cheered herdeparture from the Mersey, daybreak on Thursday would find her poundingthrough the cross seas where St. George's Channel merges into the wideAtlantic. If she followed the beaten track on her long run to theRiver Plate--as sailors will persist in miscalling that wondrous Rio dela Plata--she might be signaled from Madeira or the Cape Verde Islands. But shipmasters often prefer to set a course clear of the land tillthey pick up the coast of South America. If she were not spoken bysome passing steamer, there was every possibility that the sturdy oldvessel would not be heard of again before reaching her destination. 

 * * * * * *

But David Verity heard of her much sooner, and no thunderbolt that everrent the heavens could have startled him more than the manner of thathearing. 

Resolving to clinch matters with regard to Iris and her elderly suitor, he invited "Owd Dickey" to supper on Sunday evening. The girl enduredthe man's presence with a placid dignity that amazed her uncle. On theplea of a headache, she retired at an early hour, leaving Bulmer togloat over his prospective happiness, and primed to the point ofdementia. 

He was quite willing to accompany Verity to the bank next morning; apleasant-spoken manager sighed his relief when the visitors were gone, and he was free to look at the item "bills discounted" on Verity's pagein the ledger. More than that, a lawyer was instructed to draw up apartnership deed, and the representatives of various ship-buildingfirms were asked to supply estimates for two new vessels. 

Altogether Dickey was complaisant, and David enjoyed a busy andsuccessful day. He dined in town, came home at a late hour, and merelygrinned when a servant told him that Mr. Bulmer had called twice butMiss Iris happened to be out on both occasions. 

Nevertheless, at breakfast on Tuesday, he warned his niece not to keepher admirer dangling at arm's length. 

"E's a queer owd codger, " explained the philosopher. "Play up to 'im abit, an' you'll be able to twist 'im round your little finger. Ib'lieve he's goin' dotty, an' you can trust me to see that the marriagesettlement is O. K. "

"Will you be home to dinner?" was her response. 

"No. Now that the firm is in smooth water again I must show myself abit. It's all thanks to you, lass, an' I'll not forget it. Good-by!"

Iris smiled, and Verity was vastly pleased. 

"I am sure you will not forget, " she said. "Good-by. "

"There's no understandin' wimmin, " mused David, as his victoria sweptthrough the gates of Linden House. "Sunday afternoon Dickey might ha'bin a dose of rat poison; now she's ready to swaller 'im as if 'e was achocolate drop. "

Again he returned some few minutes after midnight; again the servantannounced Mr. Bulmer's visits, three of them; and again Miss Iris hadbeen absent--in fact, she had not yet come home. 

"Not 'ome!" cried David furiously. "W'y it's gone twelve. W'erethe--w'ere is she?"

No one knew. She had quitted the house soon after Verity himself, andhad not been seen since. Storm and rage as he might, and did, Davidcould not discover his niece's whereabouts. He spent a wearying andtortured night, a harassed and miserable day, devoted to franticinquiries in every possible direction with interludes of specious lyingto the infatuated Bulmer. But enlightment came on Thursday morning. Aletter arrived by the first post. It was from Iris. 

"MY DEAR UNCLE, " she wrote: "Neither you nor Mr. Bulmer should have anyobjection to my passing the few remaining weeks of my liberty in themanner best pleasing to myself. On Sunday evening, in your presence, Mr. Bulmer urged me to fix an early date for our marriage. Tell himthat I shall marry him when the _Andromeda_ returns to England fromSouth America. You will remember that you promised last year to takeme to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Ayres this summer; I have been learningSpanish so as to help our sight-seeing. Unfortunately, businessprevents you from keeping that promise, but there is no reason why Ishould not go. I am on board the _Andromeda_, and will probably beable to explain matters satisfactorily to Captain Coke. The vessel isdue back at the end of September, I believe, so Mr. Bulmer will nothave long to wait. It is more than likely that Captain Coke will notknow I am aboard until Thursday, and I have arranged with a friend thatthis letter shall reach you about the same time. Please convey myapologies to Mr. Bulmer, and accept my regret for any anxiety you mayhave felt owing to my unaccountable absence. 

"Your affectionate niece, "IRIS YORKE. "

David narrowly escaped an apoplectic seizure. When he recovered hissenses he looked ten years older. The instinct of self-preservationalone saved him in his frenzy from blurting forth the tidings of thegirl's flight. Incoherent with fear and passion, he contrived to giveorders for his carriage, and was driven to his office. Thence hedispatched telegrams to every signaling station in England, Ireland, and Spain, at which by the remotest possibility the _Andromeda_ mightbe intercepted. He cabled to Madeira and Cape Verde, even to FernandoNoronha and Pernambuco; he sent urgent instructions to the pilotageauthorities of the Bristol Channel, the southwest ports, and Lisbon;and the text of every message was: "_Andromeda_ must return toLiverpool instantly. "

But the wretched man realized that he was doomed. Fate had struck athim mercilessly. He could only wait in dumb despair, and mutterprayers too long forgotten, and concoct bogus letters from a cousin'saddress in the south of England for the benefit of Dickey Bulmer. 

Never was ship more eagerly sought than the _Andromeda_, yet never wasship more completely engulfed in the mysterious silence of the greatsea. The days passed, and the weeks, yet nothing was heard of her. She figured in the "overdue" list at Lloyd's; sharp-eyed underwritersdid "specs" in her; woe-begone women began to haunt the Liverpooloffice for news of husbands and sons; the love-lorn Dickey wore Verityto a shadow of his former self by alternate pleadings and threats; butthe _Andromeda_ remained mute, and the fanciful letters from Irisbecame fewer and more fragmentary as David's imagination failed, andhis excuses grew thinner. 

And the odd thing was that if David had only known it, he could havesaved himself all this heart-burning and misery by looking through thedining-room window on that Sunday afternoon when his prospects seemedto be so rosy. He never thought of that. He cursed every circumstanceand person impartially and fluently, but he omitted from the Sataniclitany the one girlish prank of tree-climbing that led Iris to springout of sight amid the sheltering arms of an elm when her uncle andCaptain Coke deemed the summer-house a suitable place for "a plain talkas man to man. "

So David learnt what it meant to wait, and listen, and startexpectantly when postman's knock or telegraph messenger's imperativesummons sounded on door of house or office. 

But he waited long in vain. The _Andromeda_, like her namesake of old, might have been chained to a rock on some mythical island guarded bythe father of all sea serpents. As for a new Perseus, well--David knewhim not. 

CHAPTER II

WHEREIN THE "ANDROMEDA" BEGINS HER VOYAGE

The second officer of the _Andromeda_ was pacing the bridge with theslow alertness of responsibility. He would walk from port tostarboard, glance forrard and aft, peer at the wide crescent of thestarlit sea, stroll back to port, and again scan ship and horizon. Sometimes he halted in front of the binnacle lamp to make certain thatthe man at the wheel was keeping the course, South 15 West, set byCaptain Coke shortly before midnight. His ears listened mechanicallyto the steady pulse-beats of the propeller; his eyes swept the vagueplain of the ocean for the sparkling white diamond that would betoken amast-head light; he was watchful and prepared for any unforeseenemergency that might beset the vessel intrusted to his care. But hismind dwelt on something far removed from his duties, though, to besure, every poet who ever scribbled four lines of verse has found rhymeand reason in comparing women with stars, and ships, and the sea. 

If Philip Hozier was no poet, he was a sailor, and sailors arenotoriously susceptible to the charms of the softer sex. But the onlywoman he loved was his mother, the only bride he could look for duringmany a year was a mermaid, though these sprites of the deep waters seemto be frequenting undiscovered haunts since mariners ceased to woo thewind. For all that, if perforce he was heart-whole, there was no justcause or impediment why he should not admire a pretty girl when he sawone, and an exceedingly pretty girl had honored him with her companyduring a brief minute of the previous day. 

He was superintending the safe disposal of the last batch of cottongoods in the forward hold--and had just found it necessary to explainthe correct principles of stowage with sailor-like fluency--when ayoung lady, accompanied by a dock laborer carrying a leatherportmanteau, spoke to him from the quay. 

"Is Captain Coke on board?" said she. 

"No, madam, " said he, lifting his cap with one hand, and restrainingthe clanking of a steam windlass with the other. 

"I am Mr. Verity's niece, and I wish to send this parcel to MonteVideo--may I put it in some place where it will be safe?" said she. 

Hoping that the rattling winch had drowned his earlier remarks--whichwere couched in an _lingua franca_ of the high seas--he began to tellher that it would give him the utmost pleasure to take charge of it onher account, but she nodded, bade the porter follow, ran along asomewhat precarious gangway, and was on deck before he could offer anyassistance. 

"You are Mr. Hozier, I suppose?" said Iris, gazing with frank browneyes into his frank blue ones. She, of course, was severelyself-possessed; he, as is the way of mere man, grew more confused eachinstant. 

"Well, I will just pop the bag into Captain Coke's stateroom, and leavethis note with it. I have explained everything fully. I wrote a linein case he might be absent. "

All of which was so strictly accurate that it served its purposeadmirably, though the said purpose, it is regrettable to state, was themisleading and utter bamboozling of Philip Hozier. Miss Iris Yorkeknew quite well that Captain Coke was then closeted with David Verityin Exchange Buildings; she knew, because she had watched him passthrough the big swing doors of her uncle's office. She also knew, having made it her business to find out, that in fifteen minutes, orless, the crew would muster in the fo'c'sle for their mid-day meal. Not having heard a word of Hozier's free speech to the gentlemen ofvarious nationalities at the bottom of the hold, she wondered why hewas blushing. 

"Shall I show you the way?" asked Philip, finding his tongue. 

"No, thank you. I have been on board the _Andromeda_ many times. Ah, Peter, I see you. What is it to-day, scouse or lobscouse?"

"Scouse, miss, " said the ship's cook, grinning widely at herrecollection of the line drawn by both his patrons and himself betweenship's biscuit stewed with fresh meat and the same article flavoredwith salt junk. 

Peter's recognition placed Iris's identity beyond doubt. She saidnothing more to Hozier, but tripped up the companionway. Soon he sawher paying the man who had carried the portmanteau. She herself seemedto be in no hurry. She walked to the rails beneath the bridge, andfound interest in watching the loading operations, which were resumedas soon as the second officer saw that his services were not wanted. Time was pressing, and a good deal yet remained to be done. 

Mr. Watts, the chief officer, who was called ashore by urgent businessfive minutes after the "old man" left the vessel, chose this awkwardmoment to appear from behind a bonded warehouse. He was walking withunnatural steadiness, so Hozier made some excuse to meet him andwhisper that the owner's niece was on board. 

"Sun's zhot, " remarked Mr. Watts cheerfully. 

"Go and lie down for a spell, " suggested Hozier, and Mr. Watts thoughtit was a "shpiffin' idee. " When Hozier was free to glance a secondtime at the cross rail, Iris had vanished. He was annoyed. Evidentlyshe did not wish to encounter any more of the ship's officers thatmorning. 

The hatches were on, and everything was orderly before Coke's squatfigure climbed the gangway. Hozier reported the young lady's visit, and the skipper was obviously surprised. As he hoisted himself up thesteep ladder to the hurricane deck, the younger man heard himcondemning someone under his breath as "a leery old beggar. " Thephrase was hardly applicable to Iris, but Coke came out of his cabinwith an open letter in his hand, and bade a steward stow theportmeanteau in some other more hallowed and less inconvenient place. 

And there the incident ended. The _Andromeda_ hauled down the BluePeter for her long run of over 6, 000 miles to Monte Video, and Hozierhad routine work in plenty to occupy his mind during the firsttwenty-four hours at sea without perplexing it with memories of apretty face. Soon after Holyhead was passed, it is true, a sailorreported to the second officer that he had seen a ghost between decks, in the region of the lazarette. It was then near midnight, a quiethour on board ship, and Hozier told the man sharply to go to his bunkand endeavor to sleep off the effects of the bad beer imbibed earlierin the day. 

Now, on this second night of the voyage, while the ship was ploddingsteadily southward with that fifteen point inclination to the west thatwould bring her far into the Atlantic soon after daybreak, Philipremembered Mr. Verity's niece, and felt sorry that when she paid thoseformer visits to the _Andromeda_, fate had decreed that he should beserving his time on another vessel. For there was an expression in hereyes that haunted him. Though she addressed him with that absence ofrestraint which is a heaven-sent attribute of every young woman whencircumstances compel her to speak to a strange young man--though hertone to the more favored cook was kindly, and even sprightly--thoughPhilip himself was red and inclined to stammer--despite all thesehindrances to clear judgment, he felt that she was troubled in spirit. His acquaintance with women was of the slightest, since a youth who istaught his business on the _Conway_, and means to attach himself to oneof the great Trans-Atlantic shipping lines, has no time to spare fordalliance in boudoirs. But it gave him a thrill when he heard thatthis charming girl knew his name, and it seemed to him, for an instant, that she was looking into his very soul, analyzing him, searching forsome sign that he was not as others, which meant that there were somewhom she had bitter cause to distrust. Of course, that was mereday-dreaming, a nebulous fantasy brought by her gracious presence intoa medley of hurrying windlasses, strenuous orders, and sulky, pantingmen. 

At any rate, she had left a memento of her too brief appearance onboard in the shape of the bag. He would contrive to take on his ownshoulders its mission in Monte Video; then, on returning to Liverpool, he would have an excuse for calling on her. He did not know her nameyet. Possibly, Captain Coke would mention that interesting fact whenhis temper lost its raw edge. As a last resource, the cook mightenlighten him. 

It was strange that he should be thinking of Iris--far stranger than hecould guess--but his thoughts were sub-conscious, and he was in no wiseneglecting the safety of the ship. The night was clear but dark, thestars blinked with the subdued radiance that betokens fine weather, andever and anon their reflection glimmered from the long slope of a wavelike the glint of spangles on a dress. But it was a garment offar-flung amplitude, woven on the shadowy loom of night and the sea, and from such mysterious warp and weft is often produced the sable robeof tragedy and death. It was so now, within an ace. At one instance, the restless plain of the ocean seemed to bear no other argosy than the_Andromeda_; in the next, Hozier's quick-moving glance had caught thepallid sheen of some small craft's starboard light. No need to tellhim what might happen. A sailing vessel, probably a fishing smack, wascrossing the steamer's course. He sprang to the telegraph, andsignaled "Slow" to the engine-room. Simultaneously he shouted to thesteersman to starboard the helm, and the siren trumpeted a singleraucous blast into the silence. With the rattle of the chains andsteering-rods in the gear-boxes came a yell from the lookout forward:

"Light on the port bow!"

Hozier repeated the hail, but promised the blear-eyed sentinels in thebows of the ship a lively five minutes when the watch was relieved. Slowly the _Andromeda_ swung to the west. Even more slowly, or so itappeared to the anxious man on the bridge, a red eye peeped into beingalongside the green one. A blacker smear showed up on the black sea, and a hoarse voice, presumably situated beneath the smear, expressed adesire for information. 

"Arr ye all aslape on board that crimson collier?" it asked in aWaterford brogue. 

"Got the hooker's wheel tied, I suppose?" retorted Hozier, for the nowvisible schooner had not attempted to change her course by half apoint. She was now bowling along with every stitch set before afive-knot breeze from the east; the tilt of her sails was such that shepractically presented only the outline of her spars when first sightedfrom the steamer; and her side lights probably had tallow candles inthem. 

"Bedad, it's aisier in moind we'd be if you were tied to it, " shoutedthe voice, and Hozier felt, like many another Saxon, that an Irishman'slast word is often the best one. 

The engines resumed their cadence, and the _Andromeda_ crept roundagain to South 15 West. She was back on her proper line when a heavystep sounded on the iron rungs of the bridge ladder. 

"Wot's up?" demanded Coke, who was fully dressed, though Hozier thoughthe had retired two hours earlier. "Oh, the beer is frothin' up totheir eyes, is it?" went on the skipper, after listening to a briefsummary of events. "I thought, mebbe, the wheel had jammed. But thoselazy swabs want talkin' to. I'll just give 'em a bit of me mind, " andhe went forward. 

Hozier heard him reading the Riot Act to the shell-backs who weresupposed to keep a sharp lookout ahead. But the captain did notmonopolize the conversation. His deep notes rumbled only at intervals. The men had something to say. He returned to the bridge. 

"One of them scallywags sez 'e 'as seen a ghost, " he announced, withthe calm air of a man who states that the moon will rise during thenext hour. 

"I wish he could see less remarkable things, such as schooners, sir, "said Hozier. 

"But 'e swears 'e sawr it twiced. "

"Oh, is he the man who reported a ghost outside the lazarette lastnight?"

"I s'pose so. Did 'e tell you about it? That's where she walks. "

"She!"

"That's his yarn--a female ghost, a black 'un, black clo'es anyhow. He's a dashed fool, but he's no boozer, though his mate's tongue is abit thick yet. I'll take the forenoon watch, an' you might overhaulthe ship for stowaways after breakfast. Never heard of one on thisjourney--I've routed out as many as twenty at a time w'en I was runnin'between Wellington an' Sydney--but you never can tell, so 'ave a squintround. "

"Yes, sir, " said Hozier, and that is how it fell to his lot to discoverIris Yorke, looking very white and miserable, when the hatch of thelazarette was broken open at half-past eight o'clock on Thursdaymorning!

A tramp steamer is not a complex organism. She is made up of holds, bunkers, boilers and engines, with scanty accommodation for officersand crew grouped round the funnel or stuck in the bows. When the boatswere stripped of their tarpaulins, and a few lockers and store-roomsexamined, the only available hiding-places were the shaft tunnel, theholds, and the lazarette, a small space between decks, situateddirectly above the propeller, where a reserve supply of provisions isgenerally carried. 

But the door of the lazarette was locked, and the key missing, thoughit ought to be hanging with others, all duly labeled, on a hook in thesteward's cabin. A duplicate set of keys in the captain's possessionwas far from complete. As the steward was certain he had fastened thelazarette himself early on Tuesday morning, there was nothing for itbut to force the lock. 

Even that would not have been necessary had the carpenter slackened hisefforts after the first assault. Iris cried loudly enough that shewould open the door, but the noise of the shaft and the flapping of thescrew drowned her voice, and she was compelled to stand clear when thestout planking began to yield. 

It was dark in there, and Hozier was undeniably startled by thespectacle of a slim figure, wrapped in a long ulster, standing amongthe cases and packages. "Now, out you come!" he cried, with agruffness that was intended only to cover his own amazement; but Iris, despite the horrors of sea-sickness and confinement in the dark, wasnot minded to suffer what she considered to be impertinence on the partof a second officer. 

"I am Miss Yorke, " she said, coming forward into the half light of thelower deck. "Any explanation of my presence here will be given to thecaptain, and to no other person. "

That innocent word "person" is capable of many meanings. Hozier feltthat its application to himself was distinctly unfavorable. And Iriswas quite dignified and self-possessed. She had given a few defttouches to her hair. Her hat was set at the right angle. Her darkgray coat and brown boots looked neat and serviceable. 

"Of course I did not know to whom I was speaking, " he managed to say, for he now recognized the "ghost, " and was more surprised than he hadever been in his life before. 

"That is matterless, " said Iris frigidly. "Where is Captain Coke?"

"On the bridge, " said Philip. 

"I will go to him. Please don't come with me. I tried to tell youthat I would unlock the door, but you refused to listen. Will you letme pass?"

He obeyed in silence. 

"Well, s'help me!" muttered a sailor, "talk about suffrigettes! Wotprice _'er_?"

Iris hurried to the deck. The light seemed to dazzle her, and hersteps were so uncertain that Hozier sprang forward and caught her arm. 

"Won't you sit down a moment, Miss Yorke?" he said. "If you searchedthe whole ship, you could not have chosen a worse place to travel inthan the lazarette. "

"I was driven out twice at night by the rats, " she gasped, though shestrove desperately to regain control of her trembling limbs. 

"Too bad!" he whispered. "But it was your own fault. Why did you doit? At any rate, wait here a few minutes before you meet the captain. "

"I am not afraid of meeting him. Why should I be? He knows me. "

"I meant only that you are hardly able to walk, but I seem to say thewrong thing every time. There is nothing really to worry about. Weare not far from Queenstown. We can put you ashore there by losinghalf a day. "

The girl had been ill, wracked in body and distraught in mind, with theadded horror of knowing that rats were scampering over the deck closeto her in the noisy darkness, but she summoned a half laugh at hiswords. 

"You are still saying the wrong thing, Mr. Hozier, " she murmured. "The_Andromeda_ will not put into Queenstown. From this hour I become apassenger, not a stowaway. My uncle knows now that I am here. Thankyou, you need not hold me any longer. I have quite recovered. CaptainCoke is on the bridge, you said? I can find my way; this ship is nostranger to me. "

And away she went, justifying her statements by tripping rapidlyforward. The mere sight of her created boundless excitement among suchmembers of the crew as were on deck, but the shock administered to Mr. Watts was of that intense variety often described as electric. In thematter of disposing of large quantities of ardent spirits he was aseasoned vessel, and, as a general rule, the first day at sea sufficedto clear his brain from the fumes of the last orgy on shore. But, tobe effective, the cure must not be too drastic. This morning, afterleaving the bridge, he had fortified his system with a liberalallowance of rum and milk. Breakfast ended, he took another dose ofthe same mixture as a "steadier, " and he was just leaving the messroomwhen he set eyes on Iris. Of course, he refused to believe his eyes. Had they not deceived him many times?

"Ha!" said he, "a bit liverish, " and he pressed a rough hand firmlydownward from forehead to cheek-bones. When he looked again, the girlwas much nearer. 

"Lord luv' a duck, this time I've got 'em for sure!" he groaned. 

His lower jaw dropped, he stared unblinkingly, and purple veins bulgedcrookedly on his seamed forehead. He was bereft of the power ofmovement. He stood stock-still, blocking the narrow gangway. 

"Good morning, Mr. Watts. You remember me, don't you?" said Iris, showing by her manner that she wished to pass him. 

A slight roll of the ship assisted in the disintegration of Watts. Hecollapsed sideways into the cook's galley, the door of which washospitably open. Somewhat frightened by the wildness of his looks, Iris ran on, and dashed at the foot of the companion ratherbreathlessly. The keen air was already tingeing her cheeks with color. When she reached the bridge, where Captain Coke was propped against thechart-house, with a thick, black cigar sticking in his mouth andapparently trying to touch his nose, she had lost a good deal of thepallor and woe-begone semblance that had demoralized Hozier. 

Coke heard the rapid, light footsteps, and turned his head. At alltimes slow of thought and slower of speech, he was galvanized into asudden rigidity that differed only in degree from the symptomsdisplayed by his chief officer. Certainly he could not have been morestupefied had he seen the ghost reported overnight. 

"They told me I should find you here, Captain, " said she. "I mustapologize for thrusting my company on you for a long voyage, but--circumstances--were--too much for me--and----"

Face to face with the commander of the ship, and startled anew by hisexpression of blank incredulity, the glib flow of words conned so oftenduring the steadfast but dreadful hours spent in the lazarette failedher. 

"You know me, " she faltered. "I am Iris Yorke. "

Not a syllable came from the irate and astonished man gazing at herwith such a bovine stolidity. His shoulders had not abated a fractionof their stubborn thrust against the frame of the chart-house. Hishands were immovable in the pockets of his reefer coat. The cigarstill stuck out between his lips like a miniature jib-boom. Had hewished to terrify her by a hostile reception, he could not havesucceeded more completely, though, to be just, he meant nothing of thesort; his wits being jumbled into chaos by the apparition of the lastperson then alive whom he expected or desired to see on board the_Andromeda_. 

But Iris could not interpret his mood, and she strove vainly to conquerthe fear welling up in her breast because of the grim anger that seemedto blaze at her from every line of Coke's brick-red countenance. Inthe struggle to pour forth the excuses and protestations that soundedso plausible in her own ears, while secured from observation behind thelocked door of her retreat, she blundered unhappily on to the verytopic that she had resolved to keep secret. 

"Why are you so unwilling to acknowledge me?" she cried, with a nervousindignation that lent a tremor to her voice. "You have met me oftenenough. You saw me on Sunday at my uncle's house?"

"Did I?" said Coke, speaking at last, but really as much at a loss forsomething to say as the girl herself. He had recognized her instantly, just as he would recognize the moon if the luminary fell from the sky, and with as little comprehension of the cause of its falling. 

Of course, she took the question as a forerunner of blank denial. Thiswas not to be borne. She fired into a direct attack. 

"If your memory is hazy concerning the events of Sunday afternoon, itmay be helpful if I recall the conversation between my uncle and you inthe summer-house, " she snapped. 

Some of the glow fled from Coke's face. He straightened himself andglanced at the sailor inside the wheel-house, whose attention was giveninstantly to the fact that the vessel's head had fallen away a fullpoint or more from South 15 West owing to the easterly set of a strongtide. Vessels' heads are apt to turn when steersmen do not attend totheir business. 

"Wot's that you're sayin'?" demanded Coke, coming nearer, and lookingher straight in the eyes. 

"I heard every word of that interesting talk, " she continued valiantly, though she was sensible of a numbness that seemed to envelop her in anice-cold mist. "I know what you arranged to do--so I have promised--tomarry Mr. Bulmer--when the _Andromeda_--comes back----"

A light broke on Coke's intelligence that irradiated his prominenteyes. His heavy lips relaxed into a cunning grin, and he flicked theash off the end of the cigar with a confidential nod. 

"Oh, is _that_ it?" he said. "Artful old dog, Verity! But why in--whydidn't 'e tell me you was comin' aboard this trip? We 'aven't theright fixin's for a lady, so you must put up with the best we can dofor you, Miss Yorke. Nat'rally, we're tickled to death to 'ave yourcompany, an' if on'y that blessed uncle of your's 'ad told me wot toexpect, I'd 'ave made things ship-shape at Liverpool. But, mygod-father, wot sort of ijjit axed you to stow yourself away in thelazareet? Steady now; you ain't a-goin' to faint, are you?"

Coke's amiability came too late. His squat figure and red facesuddenly loomed into a gigantic indistinctness in the girl's eyes. Shewould have fallen to the deck had not the captain's strong handsclutched her by the shoulders. 

"Hi! Below there!" he yelled. "Tumble up, some of you!"

Hozier was the first to gain the bridge. He had followed the progressof events with sufficient accuracy to realize that Miss Iris Yorke hadmet with a distinct rebuff by the skipper, and, judging from his ownexperience of her physical weakness when she emerged into daylight, hewas not surprised to hear that she had fainted. 

"'Ere, take 'old, " gurgled Coke, who had nearly swallowed the cigar inhis surprise at Iris's unforeseen collapse. "This kind of thing ismore in your line than mine, young feller. Just lay 'er out in thesaloon, an' ax Watts to 'elp. His missus goes orf regular w'en theybring 'im 'ome paralytic. "

Philip took the girl into his arms. To carry her safely down the steepstairway he was compelled to place her head on his left shoulder andclasp her tightly round the waist with his left arm. Some loosenedstrands of her hair touched his face; he could feel the laboring of herbreast, the wild beating of her heart, and he was exceeding wroth withthat unknown man or woman who had driven this insensible girl to suchstraits that she was ready to dare the discomforts and deprivations ofa voyage as a stowaway, rather than be persecuted further. 

Iris was laid on a couch in the messroom, and the steward summoned Mr. Watts. The chief officer came, looking sheepish. It was manifestly agreat relief when he found that the "ghost" was unconscious. 

"Oh, that's nothing, " he cried, in response to his junior's eagerdemand for information as to the treatment best fitted for suchemergencies. "They all drop in a heap like that w'en they're worried. Fust you takes orf their gloves an' boots, then you undoes their staysan' rips open their dresses at the necks. One of you rubs their 'andsan' another their feet, an' you dabs cold water on their foreheads, an'burn brown paper under their noses. In between whiles you give 'em adrink, stiff as you can make it. It's dead easy. Them stays are a bittroublesome if they run to size, but she's thin enough as it is. Anyhow, I can show you a fine trick for that. Just turn her over tillI cast a lashin' loose with my knife. "

Watts was elbowed aside so unceremoniously that his temper gave way. Hozier lifted Iris's head gently and unfastened the neck-hooks of herblouse. He began to chafe her cold hands tenderly, and pressed backthe hair from her damp forehead. The "chief, " not flattered by his ownreflections, thought fit to sneer at these half measures. 

"She's on'y a woman like the rest of 'em, " he growled, "even if she_is_ the owner's niece, an' a good-lookin' gal at that. I s'pose nowyou think----"

"I think she will want some fresh air soon, so you had better clearout, " said Philip. 

His words were quiet, but he flashed a warning glance at the other manthat sufficed. Watts retired, muttering sarcasms under his breath. 

Iris revived, to find Philip supporting her with a degree of skill thatwas remarkable in one who had enjoyed so little experience in thosematters. She heard his voice, coming, as it seemed, rapidly nearer, urging her to sip something very fiery and spirituous. Instantly sheprotested. 

"What are you giving me?" she sobbed. "What has happened?"

Then the whole of her world opened up before her. Her hands flew toher throat, her hair. She flushed into vivid life as the marbleGalatea incardinated under Pygmalion's kiss. 

"Did I faint?" she asked confusedly. 

"Yes, but you are all right now. You did not fall. Captain Cokecaught you and handed you over to me. I wish you would drink theremainder of this brandy, and rest for a little while. "

Iris pushed away the glass and sat up. 

"You carried me?" she said. 

"Well, I couldn't do anything else. "

"I suppose you don't realize what it means to a woman to feel that shehas been out of her senses under such conditions?"

"No, but in your case it only meant that you sighed deeply a few timesand tried to bite my fingers when I wished to open your mouth. "

"What for? Why did you want to open my mouth?"

"To give you a drink--you needed a stimulant. "

"Oh!"

By this time a few dexterous twists and turns had restrained thosewandering tresses within bounds. She held a hair-pin between her lips, and a woman can always say exactly what she means when a hairpinprevents discursiveness. 

"I am all right now, " she announced. "Will you please leave me, andtell the steward to bring me a cup of tea? If there is a cabin atliberty, he might put that portmanteau in it which I brought on boardat Liverpool. "

Hozier fulfilled her requests, and rejoined Coke on the bridge. 

"Miss Yorke is quite well again, sir, " he reported. "She wants acabin--to change her clothes, I imagine. That bag you saw----"

"Pretty foxy, wasn't it?" broke in Coke, with a glee that was puzzlingto his hearer. 

"The whole affair seems to have been carefully planned, " agreed Philip. "But, as I was saying, she asked for the use of a cabin, so I told thesteward to give her mine until we put into Queenstown. "

Coke, who had lighted another black and stumpy cigar, removed it inorder to speak with due emphasis. 

"Put into h--l!" he said. 

"But surely you will not take this young lady to the River Plate?"cried the astounded second officer. 

"She knew where she was bound w'en she kem aboard the _Andromeda_, "said the skipper, frowning now like a man who argues with himself. "There's her portmanter to prove it, with a label, an' all, in her own'and-writin'. It's some game played on me by 'er an' 'er uncle. Any'ow, the fust time she sees land again it'll be the lovely 'arbor ofPernambuco--an' that's straight. 'Ere she is, an' 'ere she'll stop, an' the best thing you can do is spread the notion among the crew thatshe's runnin' away to avoid marryin' a man she doesn't like. Thatsounds reasonable, an' it 'appens to be true. Verity an' me talked itover last Sunday, p. M. "

"To avoid a marriage?" repeated Hozier, who discovered a bluff honesty, not to say candor, in the statement, not perceptible hitherto in hiscommander's utterances. 

"Yes, that's it, " said Coke, waving the cigar across an arc of thehorizon as he warmed to the subject. "But look 'ere, me boy, this galsails under my flag. I'm, wot d'ye call it, in locomotive parentibus, or something of the sort, while she's on the ship's books. You keepyour mouth shut, an' wink the other eye, an' leave it to me to give youthe chanst of your life--eh, wot?"

Philip Hozier did not strive to extract the precise meaning of theskipper's words. The process would have been difficult, since Cokehimself could not have supplied any reasonable analysis. Somehow, tothe commander's thinking, the presence of the girl seemed to makeeasier the casting away of the ship--exactly how, or what bearing herstrangely-begun voyage might have on subsequent events, he was not yetin a position to say. But when the second officer left him, and he wassteeped once more in the fresh breeze and the sunshine, with hisshoulders braced against the chart-house, he looked at a smoke trail onthe horizon far away to the west. 

"Queenstown!" he chuckled. "Not this journey--not if my name's JimmieCoke, the man 'oo is stannin' on all that is left of 'is 'ard-earnedsavin's. No, sir, I've got me orders an' I've got me letter, an' thepore old _Andromeda_ gets ripped to pieces in the Recife, or I'll knowthe reason why. Wot a card to play at the inquiry! Owner's niece onboard--bound to South America for the good of 'er health. 'Oo even'eard of a man sendin' 'is pretty niece on a ship 'e meant to throwaway? It's Providential, that's wot it is, reel Providential! I dobelieve ole Verity 'ad a 'and in it. "

Which shows that Captain Coke confused Providence with David Verity, and goes far to prove how ill-fitted he was to theorize on the ways ofProvidence. 

CHAPTER III

WHEREIN THE "ANDROMEDA" NEARS THE END OF HER VOYAGE

"Five bells, miss! It'll soon be daylight. If you wants to see theCross, now's your time!"

Iris had been called from dreamless sleep by a thundering rat-tat onher cabin door. In reply to her half-awaked cry of "All right, " thehoarse voice of a sailor told her that the Southern Cross had justrisen above the horizon. She had a drowsy recollection of someonesaying that the famous constellation would make its appearance at sevenbells, not at five, and the difference of an hour, when the timehappens to be 2:30 instead of 8:30 a. M. Is a matter of some importance. But, perhaps that was a mistake; at any rate, here was the messenger, and she resolutely screwed her knuckles into her eyes and began todress. In a few minutes she was on deck. A long coat, a Tam o'Shanter, and a pair of list slippers will go far in the way of costumeat night in the tropics, and the _Andromeda's_ seventeenth day at seahad brought the equator very near. At dinner on the previousevening--in honor of the owner's niece fashionable hours were observedfor meals--Mr. Watts mentioned, by chance, that the Cross had been verydistinct during the middle watch, or, in other words, between midnightand 4 a. M. Iris at once expressed a wish to see it, and Captain Cokeoffered a suggestion. 

"Mr. Hozier takes the middle watch to-night, " said he. "We can ax 'imto send a man to pound on your door as soon as it rises. Then you mustrun up to the bridge, an' 'e'll tell you all about it. "

If Iris was conscious of a slight feeling of surprise, she did not showit. Hitherto, the burly skipper of the _Andromeda_ had made it soclearly understood that none of the ship's company save himself was toenjoy the society of Miss Iris Yorke, that she had exchanged very fewwords with the one man whose manners and education obviously entitledhim to meet her on an equal plane. Even at meals, he was often absent, for the captain and chief officer of a tramp steamer are not altruistswhere eating is concerned. She often visited the bridge, her favoriteperch being the shady side of the wheel-house, but talking to theofficer of the watch was strictly forbidden. In everythingappertaining to the vessel's navigation the discipline of a man-of-warwas observed on board the _Andromeda_. So Coke's complacency came nowquite unexpectedly, but Iris was learning to school her tongue. 

"Thank you very much, " she said. "When shall I see him?"

"Oh, you needn't bother. I'll tell 'im meself. "

She was somewhat disappointed at this. Hozier would be free for anhour before he turned in, and they might have enjoyed a nice chat whilehe smoked on the poop. In her heart of hearts, she was beginning toacknowledge that a voyage through summer seas on a cargo vessel, withno other society than that of unimaginative sailormen, savored oftedium, indeed, almost of deadly monotony. Her rare meetings withHozier marked bright spots in a dull round of hours. During theirsmall intercourse she had discovered that he was well informed. Theyhad hit upon a few kindred tastes in books and music; they evendiffered sharply in their appreciation of favorite authors, and whatcould be more conducive to complete understanding than the attack anddefense of the shrine of some tin god of literature?

While, therefore, it was strange that Captain Coke should actuallypropose a visit to the bridge at an unusual time--at a time, too, whenHozier would be on duty--it struck her as far more curious that heshould endeavor to prevent an earlier meeting. But she had never losther intuitive fear of Coke. His many faults certainly did not includea weak will. He meant what he said--also a good deal that he leftunsaid--and his word was law to everyone on board the _Andromeda_. SoIris contented herself with meek agreement. 

"I shall be delighted to come at any time. I have often read about theSouthern Cross, yet three short weeks ago I little thought----"

"You reely didn't think about it at all, " broke in Coke. "If you 'ad, you'd 'ave known you couldn't cross the line without seein' it. "

Here was another perplexing element in the skipper's conduct. ThatIris was a stowaway was forgotten. She was treated with the attentionand ceremony due to the owner's niece. Coke never lost an opportunityof dinning into the ears of Watts, or Hozier, or the steward, or anymembers of the crew who were listening, that Miss Yorke's presence intheir midst was a preordained circumstance, a thing fully discussed andagreed on as between her uncle and himself, but carried out in anirregular manner, owing to some girlish freak on her part. Theportmanteau, with its change of raiment, brought convincing testimony, and Iris's own words when discovered in the lazaretto supplied furtherproof, if that were needed. Her name figured in the ship's papers, andthe time of her appearance on board was recorded in the log. Cokemight be a man of one idea, but he held to it as though it were writtenin the Admiralty Sailing Directions; not his would be the fault ifDavid Verity failed to appreciate the logic of his reasoning longbefore an official investigation became inevitable. 

A keen, invigorating breeze swept the last mirage of sleep from thegirl's brain as she flitted silently along the deck. A wondrous galaxyof stars blazed in the heavens. In that pellucid air the sky was avivid ultramarine. The ship's track was marked by a trail ofphosphorescent fire. Each revolution of the propeller drew from theocean treasure-house opulent globes of golden light that danced andsparkled in the tumbling waters. It was a night that pulsated with theromance and abandon of the south, a night when the heart might throbwith unutterable longings, and the blood tingle in the veins under thestress of an emotion at once passionate and mystic. 

Iris, spurred on by no stronger impulse than that of the sight-seer, though not wholly unaware of an element of adventurous shyness in herexpectation of a _tête-à-tête_ with a good-looking young man of her ownstatus, climbed to the bridge so speedily and noiselessly that Hozierdid not know of her presence until he heard her dismayed cry:

"Is _that_ the Southern Cross?"

[Illustration: "Is that the Southern Cross?"]

He turned quickly. 

"You, Miss Yorke?" he exclaimed, and not even her wonder at theinsignificance of the stellar display of which she had heard so muchcould cloak the fact that Hozier was unprepared for her appearance. 

"Of course, it is I--who else?" she asked. "Did not Captain Coke tellyou to expect me?"

"No. "

"How odd! That is what he arranged. A man came and rapped at my door. "

"Pardon me one moment. "

He leaned over the bridge and hailed the watch. The same hoarse voicethat had roused Iris answered his questions, and, in the faint lightthat came from the binnacle, she caught a flicker of amusement on hisface. 

"Our excellent skipper's intentions have been defeated, " he said. "Hetold one of the men to call him at seven bells, but not to wake youuntil the Cross was visible. His orders have been obeyed quiteliterally. He will be summoned in another hour, and you have beendragged from bed to gaze at the False Cross, which every foremast handpersists in regarding as the real article. The true Cross, of whichAlpha Crucis is the Southern Pole star, comes up over the horizon anhour after the false one. "

"But Captain Coke said he would see you and warn you of my visit. "

"I can only assure you that he did not. Perhaps he thought itunnecessary--meaning to be on deck himself. "

"Must I wait here a whole hour, then?"

Hozier laughed. It was amusing to find how Coke's marked effort tokeep the girl and him apart had been defeated by a sailor's blunder. 

"I hope the waiting will not weary you, " he said. "It is a beautifulnight. You will not catch cold if you are well wrapped up, and, nomatter what you may think of the real Cross when you see it, you willnever have a better chance of star-gazing. Look at Sirius up there, brighter than the moon; and Orion, too, incomparably grander than anystar in southern latitudes. Our dear old Bear of the north ranks farbeyond the Southern Cross in magnificence; but mist and smoke and dustcontrive to rob our home atmosphere of the clearness which adds suchluster to the firmament nearer the equator. "

Under other circumstances, Iris would have reveled in just such anopportunity of acquiring knowledge easily. Astronomy, despite itslimitations, is one of the exact sciences; it has the charm ofwonderland; it makes to awe-stricken humanity the mysterious appeal ofthe infinite; but to-night, when the heart fluttered, and the soulpined for sympathy, she was in a mood to regard with indifference theinstant extinction of the Milky Way. 

"I am glad of the accident that brought me on deck somewhat earlierthan was necessary, " she said. "You and I have not said much to eachother since you routed me out of the lazaretto, Mr. Hozier. "

"Our friends at table are somewhat--difficult. If only you knew how Iregretted----"

"Oh, what of that? When I became a stowaway I fully expected to betreated as one. I suppose, though, that you have often asked yourselfwhy I was guilty of such a mad trick?"

"Not exactly mad, Miss Yorke, but needless, since Captain Coke partlyexpected to have your company. "

"That is absurd. He had not the remotest notion----"

"Forgive me, but there you are wrong. He says that your uncle and hediscussed the matter on the Sunday before we left Liverpool. Histheory is rather borne out by the present state of the ship's larder. I assure you that few tramp steamers spread a table like the_Andromeda's_ mess during this voyage. "

Iris laughed, with a spontaneous merriment that was rather astonishingin her own ears. 

"Being the owner's niece, I am well catered for?" she cried. 

"Something of the sort. It is only natural. "

"But I think I have read in the newspapers that when some unhappycreature is condemned to death by the law, he is supplied with luxuriesthat would certainly be denied to any ordinary criminal?"

"Such doubtful clemency can hardly apply to you, Miss Yorke. "

"It might apply to the ship, or to that human part of her that thinks, and remembers, and is capable of--of giving evidence. "

She paused, fearing lest, perhaps, she might have spoken too plainly. Coke's counter-stroke in alluding to her dread of the proposed marriagewas hidden from her ken; Hozier, of course, was thinking of nothingelse. For the moment, then, they were at cross purposes. 

"Things are not so bad as that, " he said gently. "I hope I am nottrespassing on forbidden ground, but it is only fair to tell you thatthe skipper was quite explicit, up to a point. He said you were beingforced into some matrimonial arrangement that was distasteful----"

"And to escape from an undesirable suitor I ran away?"

"Well, the story sounded all right. "

"Hid myself on my uncle's ship when I wished to avoid marrying the manof his choice?"

Hozier was not neglecting his work, but he did then take his eyes offthe starlit sea for a few amazed seconds. There was no mistaking thescornful ring in the girl's words. He could see the deep color thatflooded her cheeks; the glance that met his sparkled with an intensityof feeling that thrilled while it perplexed. 

"Please pardon me if the question hurts, but if that is not yourmotive, and there never was any real notion of your coming with us onthe this trip, why are you here?" he said. 

"Because I am a foolish girl, I suppose; because I thought that mypresence might interpose a serious obstacle between a criminal and thecrime he had planned to commit. If one wants to avoid hateful people achange of climate is a most effectual means, and I had not the moneyfor ordinary travel. Believe me, Mr. Hozier, I am not on board theAndromeda without good reason. I have often wished to have a talk withyou. I think you are a man who would not betray a confidence. If youagree to help me, something may yet be done. At first, I was sure thatCaptain Coke would abandon his wicked project as soon as he discoveredthat I knew what was in his mind. But now, I am beginning to doubt. Each day brings us nearer South America, and--and----"

She was breathless with excitement. She drew nearer to the silent, andimpassive man at her side; dropping her voice almost to a whisper, shecaught his arm with an appealing hand. 

"I am afraid that my presence will offer no hindrance to his scheme, "she murmured. "I am terrified to say such a thing, but I am certain, quite _certain_, that the ship will be lost within the next few days. "

Hozier, though incredulous, could not but realize that the girl wassaying that which she honestly thought to be true. 

"Lost! Do you mean that, she will be purposely thrown away?" he asked, and his own voice was not wholly under control, for he was called on torepress a sudden temptation to kiss away the tears that glistened inher brown eyes. 

"Yes, that is what he said--on the rocks, this side of Monte Video. "

"He said--who?"

"The--the captain. "

"To whom did he say it?"

"Oh, Mr. Hozier, do not ask that, but believe me and help me. "

"How?"

"I do not know. I am half distracted with thinking. What can we do?Captain Coke simply swept aside my first attempt to speak plainly tohim. But, make no mistake--he knows that I heard his very words, andthere is something in his manner, a curious sort of quiet confidence, that frightens me. "

After that, neither spoke during many minutes. The _Andromeda_ joggedalong steadily south by west, and the threshing of the propeller beattime to the placid hum of her engines. The sturdy old ship couldseemingly go on in that humdrum way forever, forging ahead through theliving waters, marking her track with a golden furrow. 

"That is a very serious thing you have told me, Miss Yorke, " mutteredHozier at last, not without a backward glance at the sailor in thewheel-house to assure himself that the man could not, by any chance, overhear their conversation. 

"But it is true--dreadfully true, " said Iris, clasping her handstogether and resting them on the high railing of the bridge. 

"It is all the more serious inasmuch as we are helpless, " he went on. "Don't you see how impossible it is even to hint at it in anydiscussion with the man principally concerned? I want to say this, though--you are in no danger. There is no ship so safe as one that ispicked out for wilful destruction. Men will not sacrifice their ownlives even to make good an insurance policy, and I suppose that is whatis intended. So you can sleep sound o' nights--at any rate until wenear the coast of Brazil. I can only promise you if any watchfulnesson my part can stop this piece of villainy---- Hello, there! What'sup? Why is the ship falling away from her course?"

The sudden change in his voice startled the girl so greatly that sheuttered a slight shriek. It took her an appreciable time to understandthat he was speaking to the man at the wheel. But the sailor knew whathe meant. 

"Something's gone wrong with the wheel, sir, " he bawled. "I wasn'tcertain at first, so I tried to put her over a bit to s'uth'ard. Thenshe jammed for sure. "

Hozier leaped to the telegraph and signaled "slow" to the engine-room. Already the golden pathway behind the _Andromeda_ had changed from awavering yet generally straight line to a well-defined curve. Therewas a hiss and snort of escaping steam as the sailor inside thechart-house endeavored to force the machinery into action. 

"Steady there!" bellowed Hozier. "Wait until we have examined thegear-boxes. There may be a kink in a chain. "

A loud order brought the watch scurrying along the deck. Some of themen ran to examine the bearings of the huge fan-shaped casting thatgoverned the movements of the rudder, while others began to tap thewooden shields which protected the steering rods and chains. In themidst of the hammering and excitement, Captain Coke swung himself up tothe bridge. 

"Well, I'm blowed! _You_ here?" he said, looking at Iris. "Wot is itnow?" he asked, turning sharply to Hozier. "Wheel stuck again?"

"Yes, sir. Has it happened before?"

"Well--er--not this trip. But it 'as 'appened. Just for a minnit Iwas mixin' it up with the night you nearly ran down that bloomin'hooker off the Irish coast. Ah, there she goes! Everything O. K. Now. W'en daylight comes we'll overhaul the fixin's. Nice thing if thewheel jammed just as we was crossin' the Recife!"

Hozier tried to ascertain from the watch if they had found the cause ofthe disturbance, but the men could only guess that a chance blow withan adze had straightened a kink in one of the casings. Coke treatedthe incident with nonchalance. 

"Thought you was to be called w'en the Cross hove in sight, MissYorke?" he said abruptly. 

"I am sorry to have to inform you that some people on board cannotdistinguish between falsity and truth, " she answered. "But pleasedon't be angry with any of the men on my account. Mr. Hozier tells methey often confuse the False Cross with the real one, and the mistakehas been enjoyable. Now I know all about it--what were those stars youwere telling me the names of, Mr. Hozier?"

Philip took the cue she offered. 

"Sirius, and Orion, and Ursa Major. I shall write the names andparticulars for you after breakfast, " he said with a smile. 

"Reg'lar 'umbug the Southern Cross, " grunted Coke; "it ain't a patch onthe Bear. "

"Mr. Hozier said something like that, " put in Iris mischievously. 

"Did 'e? Well 'e's right for once. But don't you go an' take asGospel most things 'e says. Every shipmaster knows that the secondofficer simply can't speak the truth. It ain't natural. W'y, it 'udbust a steam pipe if 'e tole you wot 'e really thought of the ole man. "

Coke grinned at his own pleasantry. To one of his hearers, at least, it seemed to be passing strange that he was so ready to forget such avital defect in the steering gear as had manifested its existence a fewminutes earlier. 

At any rate, he remained on the bridge until long after Iris had seenand admired the cluster of stars which oldtime navigators used toregard with awe. When shafts of white light began to taper, pennon-like, in the eastern sky, the girl went back to her cabin. Contrary to Hozier's expectation, Coke did not attempt to draw from himany account of their conversation prior to the inexplicable mishap tothe wheel. He examined a couple of charts, made a slight alteration inthe course, and at four o'clock took charge of the bridge. 

"Just 'ave a look round now while things is quiet, " he said, nodding toHozier confidentially. "I'll tell you wot I fancy: a rat dragged a bitof bone into a gear-box. If the plankin' is badly worn anywhere, getthe carpenter to see to it. I do 'ate to 'ave a feelin' that the wheelcan let you down. S'pose we was makin' Bahia on the homeward run, an'that 'appened! It 'ud be the end of the pore ole ship; an' oo'd creditit? Not a soul. They'd all say 'Jimmie threw 'er away!' Oh, I know'em, the swine--never a good word for a man while 'e keeps straight, but tar an' feathers the minnit 'e 'as a misforchun!"

Hozier found a gnawed piece of ham-bone lying in the exact positionanticipated by Coke. An elderly salt who had served with the P. & O. Recalled a similar incident as having occurred on board an Indian mailsteamer while passing through the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb. He drew alurid picture of the captain's dash across the forms of lady passengerssleeping inside a curtained space on deck, and his location of the areaof disturbance with an ax just in time to prevent a disaster. 

The carpenter busied himself with sawing and hammering during the wholeof the next two days, for the _Andromeda_ revealed many gaps in herwoodwork, but the escapade of an errant ham-bone was utterly eclipsedby a new sensation. At daybreak one morning every drop of water in thevessel's tanks suddenly assumed a rich, blood-red tint. This unnervingdiscovery was made by the cook, who was horrified to see a ruby streampouring into the earliest kettle. Thinking that an iron pipe hadbecome oxidized with startling rapidity, he tried another tap. Finally, there could be no blinking the fact that, by some uncannymeans, the whole of the fresh water on board had acquired the color ifnot the taste of a thin Burgundy. 

Coke was summoned hastily. _Noblesse oblige_; being captain, hevaliantly essayed the task of sampling this strange beverage. 

"It ain't p'ison, " he announced, gazing suspiciously at the littlegroup of anxious-faced men who awaited his verdict. "It sartinly ain'tp'ison, but it's wuss nor any teetotal brew I've tackled in all me borndays. 'Ere, Watts, you know the tang of every kind o' likker--'ave asup?"

"Not me!" said Watts. "I don't like the look of it. First time I'veever seen red ink on tap. For the rest of this trip I stick to bottledbeer, or somethink with a label. "

"It smells like an infusion of permanganate of potash, " volunteeredHozier. 

"Does it?" growled Coke, who seemed to be greatly annoyed. "Wot a pityit ain't an infusion of whisky an' potash!" and he glared vindictivelyat Watts. "Some ijjit 'as bin playin' a trick on us, that's wot itis--some blank soaker 'oo don't give a hooraw in Hades for tea an'corfee an' cocoa, but wants a tonic. Stooard!"

"Yes, sir, " said the messroom attendant. 

"Portion out all the soda water in the lockers, an' whack it on thetable every meal till it gives out. See that nobody puts away more'n'is proper allowance, too. I'm not goin' to cry hush-baby w'en the_Andromeda_ gets this sort of kid's dodge worked off on 'er. "

"If you're alloodin' to me, " put in the incensed "chief, " whose temperrose on this direct provocation, "I want to tell you now----"

"Does the cap fit?" sneered Coke. 

"No, it doesn't. I never 'eard of that kind of potash in me life. D'ye take me for a--chemist's shop?"

"Never 'eard of it!" cried the incensed skipper, who had obviously madeup his mind as to the person responsible for the outrage. "There's'arf a dozen cases of it in the after hold--or there was, w'en we putthe hatches on. "

"Even if some of the cases were broken, sir, the contents could notreach the tanks, " said Hozier, who fancied that Coke's attack on thebibulous Watts was wholly unwarranted. But the commander's wrath couldnot be appeased. 

"Get this stuff pumped out, an' 'ave the tanks scoured. We'll put intoFernando Noronha, an' refill there. It's on'y a day lost, an' I guessthe other liquor on board 'll last till we make the island. Sink me, if this ain't the queerest run this crimson ship 'as ever 'ad. I'll beglad w'en it's ended. "

Coke lurched away in the direction of the chart-room. Hozier found himthere later, poring over a chart of Fernando Noronha. Iris, on hearingthe steward's version of the affair, came to the bridge for furtherenlightenment, but Coke merely told her that the island was a Lloyd'ssignal station, so she could cable to her uncle. 

"Can I go ashore?" she asked. 

"I dunno. We'll see. It's a convict settlement for the Brazils, an'they're mighty partic'lar about lettin' people land, but they'll 'ardlyobject to a nice young lady like you 'avin' a peep at 'em. "

As his tone was unusually gruff, not to say jeering, she resolved tofind an opportunity of seeking Hozier's advice on the cablegramproblem. But the portent of the blood-red water was not to bedisregarded. Never was Delphic oracle better served by nature. The_Andromeda_ began to roll ominously; masses of black cloud climbed overthe southwest horizon; at midday the ship was driving through a heavysea. As the day wore, the weather became even more threatening. A skyand ocean that had striven during three weeks to produce in splendidrivalry blends of sapphire blue and emerald green and tenderest pink, were now draped in a shroud of gray mist. With increasing frequencyand venom, vaulting seas curled over the bows, and sent stingingshowers of spray against the canvas shield of the bridge. Instead ofthe natty white drill uniform and canvas shoes of the tropics, theship's officers donned oilskins, sou'westers, and sea-boots. Torrentsswept the decks, and an occasional giant among waves smote the hullwith a thunderous blow under which every rivet rattled and every plankcreaked. Despite these drawbacks, the _Andromeda_ wormed her waysouth. She behaved like the stanch old sea-prowler that she was, andlabored complainingly but with stubborn zeal in the teeth of a stiffgale. 

Iris, of course, thought that she was experiencing the storm of acentury. Badly scared at first, she regained some stock of couragewhen Hozier came twice to her cabin, pounded on the door, and shoutedto her such news as he thought would take her mind off the outerfuries! The first time he announced that they were just "crossing theline, " and the girl smiled at the thought that Neptune's chosen lairwas uncommonly like the English Channel at its worst. On the secondoccasion her visitor brought the cheering news that they would be underthe lee of Fernando Noronha early next morning. She had sufficient sealore to understand that this implied shelter from wind and wave, butHozier omitted to tell her that the only practicable roadstead in theisland, being on the weather side, would be rendered unsafe by thepresent adverse combination of the elements. In fact, Coke had alreadycalled both Watts and Hozier into council, and they had agreed with himthat the wiser plan would be to bear in towards the island from theeast, and anchor in smooth water as close to South Point as the leadwould permit. 

As for Iris's wild foreboding that the ship was intended to be lost, Philip did not give it other than a passing thought. Coke wasnavigating the _Andromeda_ with exceeding care and no little skill. Hewas a first-rate practical sailor, and it was an education to theyounger man to watch his handling of the vessel throughout the worstpart of the blow. About midnight the weather moderated. It improvedsteadily until a troubled dawn heralded some fitful gleams of the sun. By that time the magnificent Peak of Fernando Noronha was plainlyvisible. Coke came to the bridge and set a new course, almost duewest. The sun struggled with increasing success against the cloudbattalions, and patches of blue appeared in sky and sea. Soon it waspossible to distinguish the full extent of the coast line. Housesappeared, and trees, and green oases of cultivation, but these weremere spots of color amid the arid blackness of a land of bleak rock andstone-strewed hills. 

There was a strong current setting from the southeast, and the dyinggale left its aftermath in a long swell, but the _Andromeda_ rolled onwith ever-increasing comfort. Even Iris was tempted forth by thecontinued sunshine. 

Coke was not on the bridge at the moment. Mr. Watts was taking thewatch; Hozier was on deck forrard, looking for gravel and shells on theinstrument that picks up these valuable indications from the floor ofthe sea. Suddenly the captain appeared. He greeted Iris with a genialnod. 

"Ah, there you are, " he cried. "Not seen you since this timeyesterday. Sorry, but there'll be no goin' ashore to-day. We're onthe wrong side of the island, an' it 'ud toss you a bit if you was totry an' land in eether of the boats. Take 'er in easy now, Mr. Watts. That's our anchorage--over there, " and he pointed to the mouth of anarrow channel between South Point and the Ile des Frégates, the lattera tiny islet that almost blocks the entrance to a shallow bay intowhich runs a rivulet of good but slightly brackish water. 

The ship slowed perceptibly, and Hozier busied himself with the lead, which a sailor was swinging on the starboard side from the smallplatform of the accommodation ladder. Iris did not know what was said, but the queer figures repeated to Coke seemed to be satisfactory. Headlands and hills crept nearer. The rocky arms of the island closedin on them. A faint scent as of sweet grasses reached them from theshore. Iris could see several people, nearly all of them men inuniform, hurrying about with an air of excitement that betokened theunusual. Perhaps a steamer's advent on the south side of the islandwas a novelty. 

Now they were in a fairly smooth roadstead; the remnants of the galewere shouldered away from the ship by the towering cliff that juttedout on the left of the bay. The crew were mostly occupied in clearingblocks and tackle and swinging two life-boats outward on their davits. 

"All ready forrard?" roared Coke. Hozier ran to the forecastle. Hefound the carpenter there, standing by the windlass brake. 

"All ready, sir!" he cried. 

Coke nodded to him. 

"Give her thirty-five, " he said, meaning thereby that the anchor shouldbe allowed thirty-five fathoms of chain. 

From the bridge, where Iris was standing, she could follow eachmovement of the commander's hands as he signaled in dumbshow to thesteersman or telegraphed instructions to the engine-room. It wasinteresting to watch the alertness of the men on duty. They were ascratch crew, garnered from the four quarters of the globe at theLiverpool shipping office, but they moved smartly under officers whoknew their work, and the _Andromeda_ was well equipped in that respect. 

The turbulent current was surging across the bows with the speed of amill-race, so Coke brought the vessel round until she lay broadsidewith the land and headed straight against the set of the stream. Itwas his intent to drop anchor while in that position, and help anyundue strain on the cable by an occasional turn of the propeller. 

"Keep her there!" he said, half turning to the man at the wheel; hechanged the indicator from "Full speed" to "Slow ahead"; in a fewseconds the anchor chain would have rattled through thehawse-hole--when something happened that was incomprehensible, stupefying--something utterly remote and strange from the ways ofcivilized men. 

The _Andromeda_ quivered under a tremendous buffet. There was a crashof rending iron and an instant stoppage of the engines. Almost merginginto the noise of the blow came a loud report from the land, but that, in its turn, was drowned by the hiss of steam from the exhaust. 

Coke appeared to be dumfounded for an instant. Recovering himself, heran to the starboard side, leaned over, looked down at a torn platethat showed its jagged edges just above the water-line, and then lifteda blazing face toward a point half-way up the neighboring cliff, wherea haze lay like a veil of gauze on the weather-scarred rocks. 

"You d--d pirates!" he yelled, raising both clenched fists at thehidden battery which had fired a twelve-pound shell into the doomedship. 

The _Andromeda_ herself seemed to recognize that she was stricken untodeath. She fell away before the current with the aimless drift of alog. 

"Let go!" bellowed Coke with frenzied pantomime of action to Hozier. It was too late. Before the lever controlling the steam windlass thatreleased the anchor could be shoved over, another shell plunged throughthe thin iron plates in the bows, smashing a steam pipe, and jammingthe hawser gear by its impact. The missile burst with a terrificreport. A sailor was knocked overboard, the carpenter was killedoutright, two other men were seriously wounded, and Hozier received ablow on the forehead from a flying scrap of metal that stretched him onthe deck. 

The gunners on shore had not allowed for the drifting of the ship. That second shell was meant to demolish the chart-house and clear thebridge of its occupants. Striking high and forward, it had robbed the_Andromeda_ of her last chance. Now she was rolling in the full gripof the tidal stream. It could only be a matter of a minute or lessbefore she struck. 

CHAPTER IV

SHOWING WHAT BECAME OF THE "ANDROMEDA"

The island artillery did not succeed in hitting the crippled shipagain. Three more shells were fired, but each projectile screamedharmlessly far out to sea. A trained gunner, noting these facts, wouldreason that the shore battery made good practice in the first instancesolely because its ordnance was trained at a known range. Indeed, hemight even hazard a guess that the _Andromeda's_ warm reception wasarranged long before her masts and funnel rose over the horizon. Thatthe islanders intended nothing less than her complete destruction wasself-evident. Without the slightest warning they had tried to sinkher; and now that she was escaping the further attentions of the fieldpieces, a number of troops stationed on South Point and the Isle desFrégates began to pelt her with bullets. 

Iris, when the first paralysis of fear had passed, when her strickensenses resumed their sway and her limbs lost their palsy, flinched fromthis new danger, and sank sobbing to her knees behind the canvas shieldof the bridge. Somehow, this flimsy shelter, which sailors call the"dodger, " gave some sense of safety. Her throbbing brain was incapableof lucid thought, but it was borne in on her mistily that the world andits occupants had suddenly gone mad. The omen of the blood-red waterhad justified itself most horribly. The dead carpenter was sprawlingover the forecastle windlass. His hand still clutched the brake. Thesailor at the wheel had been shot through the throat, and had fallenlimply through the open doorway of the chart-room; he lay there, coughing up blood and froth, and gasping his life out. The two menwounded by the second shell were creeping down the forward companion inthe effort to avoid the hail of lead that was beating on the ship. Hozier was raising himself on hands and knees, his attitude that of aman who is dazed, almost insensible. Watts had gone from thebridge--he might have been whirled to death over the side like theunfortunate foremast hand she had seen tossed from off the forecastle;but Coke, whose charmed life apparently entitled him to act like alunatic, was actually balancing himself on top of the starboard railsof the bridge by clinging to a stay, having climbed to that exposedposition in order to hurl oaths at the soldiers on shore. He had goneberserk with rage. His cap had either fallen off or been torn from hishead by a bullet; his squat, powerful figure was shaking with frenzy;he emphasized each curse with a passionate gesture of the free hand andarm; he said among other things, and with no lack of forcefuladjectives, that if he could only come to close quarters with some ofthe Portygee assassins on the island he would tear their sanguinarylivers out. It is an odd thing that men made animal by fury often usethat trope. They do really mean it. The liver is the earliest spoilof the successful tiger. 

The _Andromeda_, uncontrollable as destiny, and quite as heedless ofher human freight, swung round with the current until her bows pointedto the islet occupied by the marksmen. All at once, Coke suspended hisflow of invectives and rushed into the chart-room, where Iris heard himtearing lockers open and throwing their contents on the deck. Toenter, he was obliged to leap over the body of the dying man. Theaction was grotesque, callous, almost inhuman; it jarred the girl'sagonized transports back into a species of spiritual calm, a mentalstate akin to the fatalism often exhibited by Asiatics when death isimminent and not to be denied. The apparent madness of the captain wasnow more distressing to her than the certain loss of the ship or theinvisible missiles that clanged into white patches on the iron plates, cut sudden holes and scars in the woodwork, or whirred through the airwith a buzzing whistle of singularly menacing sound. She began to beafraid of remaining on the bridge; her fear was not due to the reallyvital fact that it was so exposed; it arose from the purely feminineconsideration that she was sure Coke had become a raving maniac, andshe dreaded meeting him when, if ever, he reappeared. 

A bullet struck the front frame of the chart-room, and several panes ofglass were shattered with a fearful din. That decided her. Coke, ifhe were not killed, would surely be driven out. She sprang to herfeet, and literally ran down the steep ladder to the saloon deck. Through the open door of the officers' mess she witnessed anotherbizarre act--an act quite as extraordinary in its way as Coke's jumpover the steersman's body. In the midst of this drama of death anddestruction, Watts was standing there, with head thrown back anduplifted arm, gulping down a tumblerful of some dark-colored liquid, draining it to the dregs, while he held a black bottle in the otherhand. That a man should fly to rum for solace when existence itselfmight be measured by minutes or seconds, was, to Iris, not the leastamazing experience of an episode crammed with all that was new, andstrange, and horrible in her life. She raced on, wholly unaware thatthe drifting ship was now presenting her port bow to the death-dealingfusillade. 

Then, from somewhere, she heard a gruff voice:

"Hev' ye shut off steam, Macfarlane?"

"Ou ay. It's a' snug below till the watter reaches the furnaces, " camethe answer. 

So some of the men were doing their duty. Thank God for that!Undeterred by the fact that a live shell had burst among the engines, the oil-stained, grim-looking engineers had not quitted their postuntil they had taken such precautions as lay in their power to insurethe ship's safety. A light broke in on the fog in the girl's mind. Even now, at the very gate of eternity, one might try to help others!The thought brought a ray of comfort. She was about to look for thespeakers when a bullet drilled a hole in a panel close to her side. She began to run again, for a terrified glance through the forwardgangway showed that the ship was quite close to the land, where men inblue uniforms, wearing curiously shaped hats and white gaiters, werescattered among the rocks, some standing, some kneeling, some prone, but all taking steady aim. 

But it showed something more. Hozier was now lying sideways on theraised deck of the forecastle; he partly supported himself on his rightarm; his left hand was pressed to his forehead; he was trying to rise. With an intuition that was phenomenal under the circumstances, Irisrealized that he was screened from observation for the moment by thewindlass and the corpse that lay across it. But the ship's everincreasing speed, and the curving course of her drifting, would soonbring him into sight, and then those merciless riflemen would shoot himdown. 

"Oh, not that! Not that!" she wailed aloud. 

An impulse stronger than the instinct of self-preservation caused theblood to tingle in her veins. She had waited to take that one look, and now, bent double so as to avoid being seen by the soldiers, shesped back through the gangway, gained the open deck, crouched close tothe bulwarks on the port side, and thus reached unscathed the foot ofthe companion down which the wounded men had crawled. The zinc plateson the steps were slippery with their blood, but she did not falter atthe sight. Up she went, stooped over Hozier, and placed her strongyoung arms round his body. 

"Quick!" she panted, "let me help you! You will be killed if youremain here!"

Her voice seemed to rouse him as from troubled sleep. 

"I was hit, " he muttered. "What is it? What is wrong?"

"Oh, come, come!" she screamed, for some unseen agency tore atransverse gash in the planking not a foot in front of them. 

He yielded with broken expostulations. She dragged him to the top ofthe stairs. Clinging to him, she half walked, half fell down the fewsteps. But she did not quite fall; Hozier's weight was almost morethan she could manage, but she clung to him desperately, saved him froma headlong plunge to the deck, and literally carried him into theforecastle, where she found some of the crew who had scurried therelike rabbits to their burrow when the first shell crashed into theengine-room. 

Iris's fine eyes darted lightning at them. 

"You call yourselves men, " she cried shrilly, "yet you leave one ofyour officers lying on deck to be shot at by those fiends!"

"We didn't know he was there, miss, " said one. "We'd ha' fetched himright enough if we did. "

Even in her present stress of mixed emotions, the sailor's wordssounded reasonable. Every other person on board was just as greatlystunned by this monstrous attack as she herself, and the firing nowappeared to increase in volume and accuracy. Several bullets clangedagainst the funnel or broke huge splinters off the boats. 

"Gord A'mighty, listen to that, " growled a voice. "An' we cooped uphere, blazed at by a lot of rotten Dagos, with not a gun to our name!"

Iris was still supporting Hozier, whose head and shoulders werepillowed against her breast as she knelt behind him. 

"Can nothing be done?" she asked. "I believe Captain Coke has beenkilled. Mr. Hozier is badly injured, I fear. Bring some water, ifpossible. "

"Yes, yes, water. . . . Only a knock on the head. . . . How did ithappen? And what is that noise of firing?"

Hozier's scattered wits were returning, though neither he nor Irisremembered that the _Andromeda_ was waterless. He looked up at her, then at the men, and he smiled as his eyes met hers again. 

"Funny thing!" he said, with a natural tone that was reassuring. "Ithought the windlass smashed itself into smithereens. But it couldn't. What was it that banged?"

"A shell, fired from the island, " said the girl. 

Hozier straightened himself a little. He was hearing marvels, thoughfar from understanding them, as yet. 

"A shell!" he repeated vacantly. Had she said "a comet" it could nothave sounded more incredible. 

"Yes. It might have killed you. Several of the men are dead. Imyself saw three of them killed outright, and two others are badlywounded. "

"Here you are, sir--drink this, " said a fireman, offering a pannikin ofbeer. It was unpalatable stuff, but it tasted like the nectar of thegods to one who had sustained a blow that would have felled an ox. Hozier had almost emptied the tin when an exclamation from an Irishstoker drew all eyes to the after part of the ship. 

"Holy war! Will ye look at that!" shouted the man. "Sure the skipperisn't dead, at all, at all. "

Iris had failed to grasp the meaning of Coke's antics in thechart-room, but they were now fully explained. The bulldog breed ofthis self-confessed rascal had taken the upper hand of him. Though hehad not scrupled to plot the destruction of the ship, and thus rob amarine insurance company of a considerable sum of money--though at thatvery instant there was actual proof of his scheme in the preparationshe had made to jam the steering-gear when the anchor was raised afterthe tanks were replenished--it was not in the man's nature to skulkinto comparative safety because a foreigner, a pirate, anot-to-be-mentioned-in-polite-society Portygee, opened fire on him inthis murderous fashion. Moreover, Coke's villainy would havesacrificed no lives. The _Andromeda_ might be converted into scrapiron, and thereby give back, by perverted arithmetic, the moneyinvested in her. But her white decks would not be stained with blood. Whatever risk was incurred would be his, the responsible captain's, hisonly. It was a vastly different thing that shot and shell should berained on an unarmed ship by the troops of a civilized power when shewas seeking the lowest form of hospitality. No wonder if thebull-necked skipper foamed at the mouth and used words forbidden by thecatechism; no wonder if he tried to express his helpless fury in onelast act of defiance. 

He rummaged the lockers for a Union Jack and the four flags that showedthe ship's name in signal letters. The red ensign was alreadyfluttering from a staff at the stern, and the house flag of DavidVerity & Co. Was at the fore, but these emblems did not satisfy Coke'sfighting mettle. The _Andromeda_ would probably crack like an eggshellthe instant she touched the reef towards which she was hurrying; hedetermined that she would go down with colors flying if he were not putout of action by a bullet before he could reach the main halyard. 

The swerve in the ship's course as she passed the island gave him anopportunity. In justice to Coke it should be said that he reckednaught of this, but it would have been humanly impossible otherwise forthe soldiers to have missed him. And now, while the vessel lay withstraight keel in the set of the current, the national emblem ofBritain, with the _Andromeda's_ code flags beneath, fluttered up themainmast. 

There are many imaginable conditions under which Coke's deed would beregarded as sublime; there are none which could deny his splendidaudacity. The soldiers, who seemed to be actuated by the utmostmalevolence, redoubled their efforts to hit the squat Hercules who hadbellowed at them and their fellow artillerists from the bridge. Bullets struck the deck, lodged in the masts, splintered the roof andpanels of the upper structure, but not one touched Coke. He coollymade fast each flag in its turn, and hauled away till the Union Jackhad reached the truck; then, drawn forrard by a hoarse cheer that camefrom the forecastle, he turned his back on the enemy and swung himselfdown to the fore-deck. 

He was still wearing the heavy garments demanded by the gale; hisrecent exertions, joined to the fact that the normal temperature of asub-tropical island was making itself felt, had induced a violentperspiration. As he lumbered along the deck he mopped his facevigorously with a pocket handkerchief, and this homely action helped toconvince Iris that she was mistaken in thinking him mad. His words, too, when he caught sight of her, were not those of a maniac. 

"Well, missy, " he cried, "wot'll they say in Liverpool now? I s'posethey'll 'ear of this some day, " and he jerked a thumb backwards toindicate the unceasing hail of bullets that poured into the after partof the ship. 

The girl looked at him with an air of surprise that would have beencomical under less grievous conditions. She knew, with a vaguedefiniteness, that death was near, perhaps unavoidable, and it hadnever occurred to her that she or any other person on board need feelany concern about the view entertained by Liverpool as to their fate. Before she could frame a reply, however, Hozier seemed to recover hisfaculties. He stood up, walked unaided to the side of the ship, andglanced ahead. 

"Shouldn't we try to lower a boat, sir?" he asked instantly. 

"Wot's the use?" growled Coke. "Oo's goin' to lower boats while themblighters on the island are pumpin' lead into us? And wot good are theboats w'en they're lowered? They've been drilled full of holes. Youmight as well try to float a sieve. Look at that, " he addedsarcastically, as the side of the cutter was ripped open by aricochetting shot, and splinters were littered on the deck, "they knowwot they want an' they mean to get it. Dead men tell no tales. Itwon't be anybody 'ere now who'll 'ave the job of lettin' the folk at'ome know 'ow the pore ole _Andromeda_ went under. "

"Are none of the boats seaworthy?"

"Not one. They're knocked to pieces. Sorry for you, Miss Yorke. Butwe're all booked for Kingdom Come. In 'arf a minnit, or less, we'll beon the reef, an' the ship must begin to break up. "

Coke was telling the plain truth, but Hozier ran aft to make sure thathe was right in assuming the extent of the boats' damages. One of themen, an Italian, climbed to the forecastle deck in order to see moreclearly what sort of danger they were running into. He came backinstantly, and his swarthy face was green with terror. Though he spokeEnglish well enough, he began to jabber wildly in his mother tongue. None paid heed to him. It was common knowledge that the vessel must belost, and that those who still lived when she struck would have thealternatives of being drowned, or beaten to pieces against the frowningrocks, or shot from the mainland like so many stranded seals, if somealliance of luck and strength secured a momentary foothold on one ofthe tiny islets that barred the way. And at such moments, when themind is driven into a swift-running channel that ends in a cataract, elemental passions are apt to strive with elemental fears. Few amongthese rough sailors had ever given thought to the future. They hadlived from hand to mouth, the demands of a hard and dangerousprofession alternating with bouts of foolish revelry. Most of them hadlooked on death in the tempest, in the swirling seas, in the upliftedknife. But then, there was always a chance of escape, an open door forthe stout heart and ready hand; whereas, under present conditions, there was nothing to be done but pray, or curse, or wait in stoicsilence until the first ominous quiver ran through the swift-movingship. So, all unknowingly, they grouped themselves according to theirnationalities, for the Latins knelt and supplicated the saints and theVirgin Mother, the Celts roared insensate threats at the islanders whohad thrown them into the very jaws of eternity, and the Saxons stoodmotionless, with grim jaws and frowning brows, disdaining alike bothfrenzied appeal and useless execration. 

Someone threw a cork jacket over the girl's shoulders, and bade herfasten its straps around her waist. She obeyed without a word. Indeed, she seemed to have lost the power of speech. Everything hadsuddenly assumed such a crystal clear aspect that her eyes were giftedwith unnatural vision though her remaining senses were benumbed. Theblue and white of the sky, the emerald green of the water, the russetbrown and cold gray of the land--these shone now with a beauty vividbeyond any of nature's tints she had ever before seen. She wasconscious, too, of an awful aloofness. Her spirit was entrenched inits own citadel. She seemed to be brooding, solitary and remote, yetshrinking ever within herself; quite unknowing, she offered a piteousexample of the old Hebrew's dire truism that man came naked into theworld and naked shall he depart. 

In a curiously detached way she wondered why Hozier did not return. The prayers and curses of the men surrounding her fell unheeded on herears. Where was Hozier? What was he doing? Why did he not come toher? She felt a strange confidence in him. If he had not been struckdown by that calamitous shell he would have saved the ship--assuredlyhe would have devised some means of saving their lives! Perhaps, evennow, he was attempting some desperate expedient! . . . The thoughtnerved her for an instant. Then a rending, grinding noise was followedby a sudden swerve and roll of the ship that sent her staggeringagainst a bulkhead. An outburst of cries and shouting rang through herbrain, and a shriek was wrung from her parched throat. 

But the _Andromeda_ righted herself again, though there was anothersound of tearing metal, and the deck heaved perceptibly under a shock. 

Ah, kind Heaven! here came Hozier, running, thundering some loud order. 

"The port life-boat . . . Seaworthy!"

There was a fierce rush, in which she joined. She was knocked down. Astrong hand dragged her to her feet. It was Coke, swearing horribly. She saw Hozier leap against the flood of men. 

"D--n you, the woman first!" she heard him say, and he sent the leadersof the mob sprawling over the hatches of the forehold. 

Coke, almost carrying her in his left arm, butted in among the crewlike an infuriated bull. Some of the men, shamefaced, made way forthem. Hosier reached her. She thought he said to the captain:

"There's a chance, if we can swing her clear. "

Then the ship struck, and they were all flung to the deck. They rose, somehow, anyhow, but the _Andromeda_, apparently resenting the check, lifted herself bodily, tilted bow upward, and struck again. A mass ofspray dashed down upon the struggling figures who had been driven asecond time to their knees. There was a terrific explosion in theafter-hold, for the deck had burst under the pressure of air, andanother ominous roar announced that the water had reached the furnaces. Steam and smoke and dust mingled with the incessant lashing of sheetsof spray, and Iris was torn from Coke's grip. 

She fancied she heard Hozier cry, "Too late!" and a lightning glimpsedown the sloping deck showed some of the engineers and stokers crawlingup toward the quivering forecastle. She felt herself clasped inHozier's arms, and knew that he was climbing. After a few breathlessseconds she realized that they were standing on the forecastle, wherethe captain and many of the crew were clinging to the windlass, andanchor, and cable, and bulwarks, to maintain their footing. Below, beyond a stretch of unbroken deck, the sea raged against all that wasleft of the ship. The bridge just showed above the froth and spume ofsea level. The funnel still held by its stays, but the mainmast wasgone, and with it the string of flags. 

The noise was deafening, overpowering. It sounded like the rattle ofsome immense factory; yet a voice was audible through the din, forHozier was telling her not to abandon hope, as the fore part of theship was firmly wedged into a cleft in the rocks: they might still havea chance when the tide dropped. 

So that explained why it was so dark where a few moments ago all waslight. Iris pressed the salt water out of her burning eyes, and triedto look up. On both sides of the narrow triangle of the forecastlerose smooth overhanging walls, black and dripping. They were festoonedwith seaweed, and every wave that curled up between the ship's platesand the rocks was thrown back over the deck, while streams of waterfell constantly from the masses of weed. She gasped for breath. Themere sight of this dismal cleft with its super-saturated air space madeactive the choking sensation of which she was just beginning to beaware. 

"I--cannot breathe!" she sobbed, and she would have slipped off intothe welter of angry foam beneath had not Hozier tightened a protectingarm round her waist. 

"Stoop down!" he said. 

She had a dim knowledge that he unbuttoned his coat and drew one of itsfolds over her head. Ah, the blessed relief of it! Freed from thestifling showers of spray, she drew a deep breath or two. How good hewas to her! How sure she was now that if he had been spared by thatdisabling shell he would have saved them all!

Bent and shrouded as she was, she could see quite clearly downward. The ship was breaking up with inconceivable rapidity. Already therewas a huge irregular vent between the fore deck and the central blockof cabins topped by the bridge. And a new horror was added to all thathad gone before. Swarms of rats were skimming up the slippery planks. They were invading the forecastle and the forecastle deck. They camein an irresistible army, though, fortunately for Iris's continuedsanity, the greater number scurried into the darkness of the men'squarters. 

She was watching them with fascinated eyes, though not daring towithdraw her head from under the coat, when she heard a ghastly yellfrom beneath, and an erie face appeared above the stairway. It wasWatts, mad with fright and drink. 

"Save me! save me!" he screamed, and the girl shuddered as she realizedthat the man did not fear death so much as he loathed the scamperingrats. He had no difficulty in climbing the steep companion, though, byreason of the present position of all that was left of the _Andromeda_, its pitch was thrown back to an unusual angle. He scrambled up, apitiable object. A couple of rats ran over his body, and as eachwhisked across his shoulders and past his cheek he uttered ablood-curdling yell. A big wave surged up into the recesses of thecleft and was flung off in a drenching shower on to the forecastle. Itnearly swept Watts into the next world, and it drove every rodent inthat exposed place back to the dry interior. 

To return, they had to use the unhappy chief officer as a causeway, andthe poor wretch's despairing cries were heartrending. He was clingingfor dear life to a bolt in the deck when Coke joined hands with asailor and was thus enabled to reach him. Once the skipper's strongfingers had clutched his collar he was rescued--at least from theinstant death that might have been the outcome of his abject terror, for there could be little doubt in the minds of those who saw hisglistening eyes and drawn lips that it would have needed the passage ofbut one more rat and he would have relaxed his hold. 

Coke pulled him up until he was lodged in safety in front of thewindlass. The manner of the welcome given by the captain to his _aide_need not be recorded here. It was curt and lurid; it would serve as asorry passport if proffered on his entry to another world; but thetragi-comedy of Watts's appearance among the close-packed gathering onthe forecastle was forthwith blotted out of existence by a thing soamazing, so utterly unlooked for that during a couple of spellboundseconds not a man moved nor spoke. 

CHAPTER V

THE REFUGEES

Watts was whimpering some broken excuse to his angry skipper when acoil of stout rope fell on top of the windlass and rebounded to thedeck. More than that, one end of it stretched into the infinity ofdripping rock and flying spray overhead. And it had been thrown byfriendly hands. Though it dangled from some unseen ledge, its purposeseemed to be that of help rather than slaughter, whereas every otheract of the inhabitants of Fernando Noronha had been suggestive ofhomicidal mania in its worst form. 

Coke and Hozier recovered the use of their faculties simultaneously. The eyes of the two men met, but Coke was the first to find his voice. 

"Salvage, by G--d!" he cried. "Up you go, Hozier! I'll sling the girlbehind you. She can't manage it alone, an' it needs someone withbrains to fix things up there for the rest of us. " And he addedhoarsely in Philip's ear: "Sharp's the word. We 'aven't many minutes!"

Philip made no demur. The captain's strong common sense had suggestedthe best step that could be taken in the interests of all. Iris, whowas nearer yielding now that there was a prospect of being rescued thanwhen death was clamoring at her feet among the trembling remains of theship, silently permitted Coke and a sailor to strip off a life-belt andtie her and Hozier back to back. It was wonderful, though hidden fromher ken in that supreme moment, to see how they devised a double slingin order to distribute the strain. When each knot was securelyfastened, Coke vociferated a mighty "Heave away!"

But his powerful voice was drowned by the incessant roar of thebreakers; not even the united clamor of every man present, fifteen alltold, including the drunken chief officer, could make itself heardabove the din. Then Hozier tugged sharply at the rope three times, andit grew taut. Amid a jubilant cry from the others, he and Iris werelifted clear of the deck. At once they were carried fully twenty feetto seaward. As they swung back, not quite so far, and now well abovethe level of the windlass from which their perilous journey hadstarted, a ready-witted sailor seized a few coils of a thin rope thatlay tucked up in the angle of the bulwarks, and flung them acrossHozier's arms. 

"Take a whip with you, sir!" he yelled, and Philip showed that heunderstood by gripping the rope between his teeth. It was obvious thatthe rescuers were working from a point well overhanging the recess intowhich the _Andromeda_ had driven her bows, and there might still be theutmost difficulty in throwing a rope accurately from the rock to thewreck. As a matter of fact, no less than six previous attempts hadbeen made, and the success of the seventh was due solely to a favorablegust of wind hurtling into the cleft at the very instant it was needed. The sailor's quick thought solved this problem for the future. Bytying the small rope to the heavier one, those who remained below couldhaul it back when some sort of signal code was established. Atpresent, all they could do was to pay out the whip, and take care thatit did not interfere with Hozier's ascent. They soon lost sight of himand the girl, for the spray and froth overhead formed an impenetrablecanopy, but they reasoned that the distance to be traveled could not begreat; otherwise the throwing of a rope would have been a physicalimpossibility in the first instance. 

Once there was a check. They waited anxiously, but there was no signgiven by the frail rope that they were to haul in again. Then theupward movement continued. 

"Chunk o' rock in the way, " announced Coke, glaring round at thesurvivors as if to challenge contradiction. No one answered. Thesemen were beginning to measure their lives against the life of the wedgeof iron and timber kept in position by the crumbling frame of the ship. It was a fast-diminishing scale. The figures painted on the_Andromeda's_ bows represented minutes rather than feet. 

Watts was lying crouched on deck, with his arms thrown round thewindlass. Looking ever for a fresh incursion of rats, he seemed to becheered by the fact that his dreaded assailants preferred the interiorof the forecastle to the wave-swept deck. He was the only man therewho had no fear of death. Suddenly he began to croon a long-forgottensailor's chanty. Perhaps, in some dim way, a notion of his truepredicament had dawned on him, for there was a sinister purport to theverse. 

 "Now, me lads, sing a stave of the Dead Man's Mass; Ye'll never sail 'ome again, O. We're twelve old salts an' the skipper's lass, Marooned in the Spanish Main, O. Sing hay---- Sing ho---- A nikker is Davy Jones, Just one more plug, an' a swig at the jug, An' up with the skull an' bones. "

After a longer and faster haul than had been noticed previously, therope stopped a second time. Everyone, except Watts, was watching thewhip intently. His eyes peered around, wide-open, lusterless. Thepounding of the seas, the grating of iron on rock, left him unmoved. 

"Wy don't you jine in the chorus, you swabs?" he cried, and forthwithplunged into the second stanza. 

 "The _Alice_ brig sailed out of the Pool For the other side of the world, O, An' our ole man brought 'is gal from school, With 'er 'air so brown an' curled, O. Sing hum---- Sing hum---- Of death no man's a dodger, An' we squared our rig for a yardarm jig When we sighted the Jolly Roger. "

He grew quite uproarious because the lilting tune evoked neitherapplause nor vocal efforts from the others. 

"Lord luv' a duck!" he shouted. "Can't any of ye lend a hand? CheerO, maties--'ere's a bit more----

 The brig was becalmed in a sea like glass, An' it gev' us all the creeps, O, Wen the sun went down like a ball o' brass, An' the pirate rigged 'is sweeps----"

"There she goes!" yelled the sailor in charge of the line; he began tohaul in the slack like a madman; Coke's fist fell heavily on thesinger's right ear. 

"Wen your turn comes, I'll tie the rope round your bloomin' neck!" hegrowled vindictively, though his eyes continued to search the darkshroud overhead that inclosed them as in a tomb. A dark form loomeddownward through the mist. It was Hozier, alone, coming back to them. A frenzied cheer broke from the lips of those overwrought men. Theyknew what that meant. Somewhere, high above the black rocks and theflying scud, was hope throned in the blessed sunshine. They drew himin cautiously until Coke was able to grasp his hand. They were quickto see that he brought a second rope and a spare whip. 

"Two at a time on both ropes, " was his inspiriting message. "They'refriendly Portuguese up there, but no one must be seen if a boat is sentfrom the island to find out what has become of the ship. So steplively! Now, Captain, tell 'em off in pairs. "

Coke's method was characteristic. He literally fell on the two nearestmen and began to truss them. Hozier followed his example, and tied twoothers back to back. They vanished, and the ropes returned, much morespeedily this time. Four, and four again, were drawn up to safety. There were left the captain, Hozier, and the unhappy Watts, who was nowcrying because the skipper had "set about" him, just for singin' a reelole wind-jammer song. 

"You must take up this swine, " said Coke to Hozier, dragging Watts tohis feet with scant ceremony. "If I lay me 'ands on 'im I'll betempted to throttle 'im. "

Watts protested vigorously against being tied. He vowed that it wascontrary to articles for a chief officer to be treated in such afashion. He howled most dolorously during his transit through mid-air, but was happily quieted by another sharp rap on the head resulting fromhis inability to climb over the obstructing rock. 

Before quitting the deck, Hozier helped to adjust the remaining ropearound the captain's portly person. They were lifted clear of thetrembling forecastle almost simultaneously, and in the very nick oftime. Already the skeleton of the ship's hull was beginning to slipoff into deep water. The deck was several feet lower than at themoment of the vessel's final impact against the rocks. Even before thethree reached the ledge from which their rescuers were working, thebridge and funnel were swept away, the foremast fell, the forehold andforecastle were riotously flooded by the sea, and Watts, were hecapable of using his eyes, might have seen his deadly enemies, therats, swarming in hundreds to the tiny platform that still rose abovethe destroying waves. Soon, even that frail ark was shattered. Whenkeel and garboard stroke plates snapped, all that was left of the_Andromeda_ toppled over, and the cavern she had invaded rang with afierce note of triumph as the next wave thundered in without hindrance. 

 * * * * * *

It was, indeed, a new and strange world on which Iris looked when ableto breathe and see once more. During that terrible ascent she hadretained but slight consciousness of her surroundings. She knew thatHozier and herself were drawn close to a bulging rock, that hercompanion clutched at it with hands and knees, and thus fended herdelicate limbs from off its broken surface; she felt herself halfcarried, half lifted, up into free air and dazzling light; she heardvoices in a musical foreign tongue uttering words that had the ring ofsympathy. And that was all for a little while. Friendly hands placedher in a warm and sunlit cleft, and she lay there, unable to think ormove. By degrees, the numbness of body and mind gave way to clearerimpressions. But she took much for granted. For instance, it did notseem an unreasonable thing that the familiar faces of men from the_Andromeda_ should gather near her on an uneven shelf of rock strewnwith broken bolders and the litter of sea-birds. She recognized themvaguely, and their presence brought a new confidence. They increasedin number; sailor-like, they began to take part instantly in the workof rescue; but she wondered dully why Hozier did not come to her, nordid she understand that he had gone back to that raging inferno beneathuntil she saw his blood-stained face appear over the lip of theprecipice. 

Then she screamed wildly: "Thank God! Oh, thank God!" and staggered toher feet in the frantic desire to help in unfastening the ropes thatbound him to the insensible Watts. One of the men tried to persuadeher to sit down again, but she would not be denied. Her unaccustomedfingers strove vainly against the stiff strands, swollen as they werewith wet, and drawn taut by the strain to which they had beensubjected. Tears gushed forth at her own helplessness. The pain inher eyes blinded her. She shrank away again. Not until Philip himselfspoke did she dare to look at him, to find that he was bending overher, and endeavoring to allay her agitation by repeated assurance oftheir common well-being. 

But her distraught brain was not yet equal to a complexity of thought. Watts was lying close to her feet, and it thrilled her with dread andcontempt when Coke bestowed a well-considered kick on his chiefofficer's prostrate form. 

"Oh, how dare you?" she cried, indignant as an offended goddess. 

"Sorry, miss, " said Coke, scowling as if he were inclined to repeat theassault, though he was not then aware of the more strenuous methodadopted by the rock as a sobering agent. "I didn't know you was there. But 'e fair gev' me a turn, 'e did, singin' 'is pot-'ouse crambos w'enwe was in the very jors of death, so to speak. "

"He must not sing, " she announced gravely, "but really you should notkick him. "

"Come, Miss Yorke, " broke in Hozier, who was choking back a laugh thatwas nearer hysteria than he dreamed, "our Portuguese friends say wemust not remain here an instant longer than is necessary. "

"Yes, " said a strange voice, "the sea is moderating. At any moment aboat may appear. Follow me, all of you. The road is a rough one, butit is not far. "

The speaker was an elderly man, long-haired and bearded, of whosepersonality the girl caught no other details than the patriarchalbeard, a pair of remarkably bright eyes, a long, pointed nose, and ared scar that ran diagonally across a domed forehead. He turned awaywithout further explanation, and began to climb a natural pathway thatwound itself up the side of an almost perpendicular wall of rock. 

Hozier caught Iris by the arm, and would have assisted her, but sheshook herself free. She felt, and conducted herself, like a fractiouschild. 

"I can manage quite well, " she said with an odd petulance. "Pleaselook after that unfortunate Mr. Watts. I am not surprised that heshould have been frightened by the rats. They terrified me, too. Oh, how awful they were--in the dark--when their eyes shone!"

Her mind had traveled back to the two nights and a day passed in thelazaretto. She sobbed bitterly, and stumbled over a steep ledge. Shewould have fallen were it not for Philip's help. 

"Watts is all right, " he soothed her. "Two of the men are seeing tohim. And the rats are all gone now. There are none here!"

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. "

"What became of them?"

"They are all--we left them behind on the ship. "

Suddenly she clung to him. 

"Don't let them send me back to the ship, " she implored. 

"No, no. You are safe now. "

"Of course I am safe, but I dread that ship. Why did I ever come onboard? Captain Coke said he would sink her. I told you----"

"Steady! Keep a little nearer the rocks on your left. The passage isnarrow here. "

Hozier raised his voice somewhat, and purposely hurried her. But shewas not to be repressed. 

"Poor ship! What had she done that she should be battered on therocks?" she wailed. 

"You must not talk, " he said firmly, well knowing that if the sailorsand firemen lumbering close behind had not heard her earlier comment itwas due solely to the blustering wind. They were skirting the seawardface of the rocky islet on which they had found salvation. The sun wasblazing at them sideways from a wide expanse of blue sky. The rearguard clouds of the gale were scurrying away over the horizon in frontof their upward path. Somehow, Philip's sailor's brain was befogged. Those clouds must have blown to the northeast. If that were so, whatwas the sun doing in the southeast at this time of the day? It hadhardly budged a point from the quarter in which some fitful gleamsshone when that mad thing happened near the windlass. Thinking he wasstill dizzy from the effects of the blow, which the girl had ascribedto the bursting of a shell, Philip glanced at his watch. It wastwenty-five minutes past eight! Yet he distinctly remembered eightbells being struck while Coke was telling him from the bridge to givethe anchor thirty-five fathoms of cable. Was it possible that they hadgone through so much during those few minutes? If he were reallylight-headed, then sun and clouds and watch were conspiring to keep himso. 

Iris, chilled by his stern tone, nevertheless noted his action. Stillunable to concentrate her thoughts on more than one topic, and that tothe exclusion of all else, she asked the time. He told her. Heawaited some expression of surprise on her part, provided it were, indeed, true that only twenty-five minutes had sped since the_Andromeda_ was quietly preparing to drop anchor off South Point. Butshe received his news without comment. She would have been equallyundisturbed if told it was midnight, and that the vessel had goneashore on the coast of China. 

Just then the track turned sharply away from the sea. A drywater-course cut deeply into the cliff where torrential rains had foundan upright layer of soft scoria imbedded in the mass of basalt. Theirguide was standing on the sky-line of the cleft, some forty feet abovethem. 

"Tell the others to make haste, " he said. "This is the end of yourjourney. "

It did not strike either Hozier or the girl as being speciallyremarkable that a man should meet them in this extraordinary place andaddress them in good English. Iris, at any rate, gave no heed to thismost amazing fact. She merely observed for the first time that theelderly stranger, while dressed in a beggar's rags, assumed an air ofcommand that was almost ludicrous. 

"Who is he?" she asked, being rather breathless now after a steep climb. 

"I don't know, " said Hozier. 

"How absurd!" she gasped. "I--I think I'm dreaming. Why--havewe--come here?"

She heard a coarse chuckle from Coke, not far below. 

"Let 'im cough it up, " the skipper was saying. "It'll do 'im good. I've seen 'im blind many a time, but 'ow any man could dope 'isself inthat shape in less'n two minutes!---- Well, it fair gives me thego-by!"

Two minutes! Hozier listened, and he was recovering his wits far morerapidly than Iris. Was the skipper, then, in league with natureherself to perplex him? And Watts, too? Why did Coke hint so coarselythat he was drunk? He was on the bridge while he, Philip, wasattending to the lead, and at that time the chief officer was perfectlysober. 

Iris, once again, was deeply incensed by Coke's brutality. 

"Horrid man!" she murmured, but she had no breath left for louderprotest. It was hot as a furnace in this narrow ravine; each upwardstep demanded an effort. She would have slipped and hurt herself manytimes were it not for Hozier's firm grasp, nor did she realize thesheer exhaustion that forced him to seek support from the neighboringwall with his disengaged hand. The man in front, however, was alive totheir dangerous plight. He said something in his own language--for hisEnglish had the precise staccato accent of the well-educatedforeigner--and another man appeared. The sight of the newcomerstartled Iris more than any other event that had happened since the_Andromeda_ reached the end of her last voyage. He wore the uniform ofthose dreadful beings whom she had seen on the island. 

She shrieked; Hozier fancied she had sprained an ankle; but before shecould utter any sort of explanation the apparition in uniform was byher side, and murmuring words that were evidently meant to bereassuring. Seeing that he was not understood, he broke into haltingFrench. 

"Courage, madame!" he said. "Il faut monter--encore un peu--etdonc--vous êtes arrivé . . . Ça y est! Voilá! Comptez sur moi. Juste ciel, mais c'est affreux l'escalier. "

But he worked while he poured out this medley, and Iris was standing onlevel ground ere he made an end. He was a handsome youngster, evidently an officer, and his eyes dwelt on the girl's face with nolack of animation as he led her into a cave which seemed to have beenexcavated from the inner side of a small crater. 

"You can rest here in absolute safety, madame, " he said. "Permit me toarrange a seat. Then I shall bring you some wine. "

Iris flung off the hand which held her arm so persuasively. 

"Please do not attend to me. There are wounded men who need attentionfar more than I, " she said, speaking in English, since it never enteredher mind that the Portuguese officer had been addressing her in French. 

He was puzzled more by her action than her words, but Hozier, who hadfollowed close behind, explained in sentences built on theOllendorffian plan that mademoiselle was disturbed, mademoisellerequired rest, mademoiselle hardly understood that which had arrived, _et voilá tout_. 

The other man smiled comprehension, though he scanned Hozier with aquick underlook. 

"Is monsieur the captain?" he asked. 

"No, monsieur the captain comes now. Here he is. "

"Mademoiselle, without doubt, is the daughter of monsieur the captain?"

"No, " said Hozier, rather curtly, turning to ascertain how Iris haddisposed of herself in the interior of the cavern. It was his firstexperience of a South American dandy's pose towards women, or, to beexact, toward women who are young and pretty, and it seemed to him notthe least marvelous event of an hour crammed with marvels that any manshould endeavor to begin an active flirtation under such circumstances. 

He saw that Iris was seated on a camp stool. Her face was buried inher hands. A wealth of brown hair was tumbled over her neck andshoulders; the constant showers of spray had loosened her tresses, andthe unavoidable rigors of the passage from ship to ledge had shaken outevery hairpin. The Tam o' Shanter cap she was wearing early in the dayhad disappeared at some unknown stage of the adventure. Her attitudebespoke a mood of overwhelming dejection. Like the remainder of hercompanions in misfortune, she was drenched to the skin. That physicaldrawback, however, was only a minor evil in this almost unpleasantlyhot retreat; but Hozier, able now to focus matters in fairly accurateproportion, felt that Iris had not yet plumbed the depths of suffering. Their trials were far from ended when their feet rested on the solidrock. There was every indication that their rescuers were refugeeslike themselves. The scanty resources visible in the cave, the intenseanxiety of the elderly Portuguese to avoid observation from the chiefisland of the group, the very nature of the apparently inaccessiblecrag in which he and his associates were hiding--each and all of thesethings spoke volumes. 

Hozier did not attempt to disturb the girl until the dapper officerproduced a goatskin, and poured a small quantity of wine into a tincup. With a curious eagerness, he anticipated the other's obviousintent. 

"Pardon me, monsieur, " he said, seizing the vessel, and his directAnglo-Saxon manner quite robbed his French of its politeness. Then hisvocabulary broke down, and he added more suavely in English: "I willpersuade her to drink a little. She is rather hysterical, you know. "

The Portuguese nodded as though he understood. Iris looked up whenHozier brought her the cup. The mere suggestion of something to drinkmade active the parched agony of mouth and throat, but her wry facewhen she found that the liquid was wine might have been amusing if theconditions of life were less desperate. 

"Is there no water?" she asked plaintively. 

The officer, who was following the little by-play with his eyes, realized the meaning of her words. 

"We have no water, mademoiselle, " he said. Then he glanced at thegroup of bedraggled sailors. "And very little wine, " he added. 

"Please drink it, " urged Hozier. "You are greatly run down, you know, though you really ought to feel cheerful, since you have escaped withyour life. "

"I feel quite brave, " said Iris simply. "I would never have believedthat I could go through--all that, " and her childish trick of listeningto the booming of the distant breakers told him how vivid was herrecollection of the horrors crowded into those few brief minutes. 

"Be quick, please, " put in the elderly Portuguese with a tinge ofimpatience. "We have no second cup, and there are wounded men----"

"Give it to them, " said Iris, lifting her face again for an instant. "I do not need it. I have told you that once already. I suppose youthink I should not be here. "

"I am sure our friend did not mean that, " said Hozier, looking squarelyinto those singularly bright eyes. He caught and held them. 

"I did not mean that the lady should be left to die if that is theinterpretation put on my remark, " came the quiet answer. "But it wasan act of the utmost folly to bring a delicate girl on such an errand. I cannot imagine what your captain was thinking of when he agreed toit. "

"Wot's that, mister?" demanded Coke. Now that his fit of rage hadpassed, the bulky skipper of the _Andromeda_ was red-faced andimperturbable as usual. The manifold perils he had passed throughshowed no more lasting effect on him than a shower of sleet on thethick hide of the animal he so closely resembled. 

"Are _you_ the captain?" said the other. 

"Yes, sir. An' I'd like to 'ear w'y my ship or 'er present trip wasn'tfit for enny young leddy, let alone----"

"That is a matter for you to determine. I suppose you know best how toconduct your own business. My only concern is with the outcome of yourrashness. Why did you deliberately sacrifice your ship in that manner?"

The speaker's cut-glass style of English left his hearers in no doubtas to what he had said. During the tense silence that reigned for afew seconds even some among the crew pricked their ears, while Hozierand Iris forgot other troubles in their new bewilderment. There werereasons why the drift of the stranger's words should be laid deeply toheart by three people present. Coke, at any rate, found himself nearera state of pallid nervousness than ever before in the course of avariegated life. It was impossible that he should actually grow pale, but his brick-red features assumed a purple tint, and his fiery littleeyes glinted. 

"Wot are you a-drivin' at, mister?" he growled at last, after tryingvainly to expectorate and compromising the effort in a husky gargle. 

"Do you deny, then, that you acted like a madman? Do you say that youdid not know quite well the risk you ran in bringing your vessel to theisland in broad daylight?"

Then Coke found his breath. 

"Risk!" he roared. "Risk in steamin' to an anchorage an' sendin' aboat ashore for water? There seems to be a lot of mad folk loose justnow on Fernando Noronha, but I'm not one of 'em, an' that's as much asI can say for enny of you--damme if it ain't. "

Evidently the Portuguese was not accustomed to the direct form ofconversation in vogue among British master mariners. He bent hispiercing gaze on Coke's angry if somewhat flustered countenance, andthere was a perceptible stiffening of voice and manner when he said:

"Who are you, then? Who sent you here?"

"I'm Captain James Coke, of the British ship _Andromeda_, that's 'oo_I_ am, an' I was sent 'ere, or leastways to the River Plate, by DavidVerity an' Co. , of Liverpool. "

It must not be forgotten that Coke shared with his employer a certainunclassical freedom in the pronunciation of the ship's name; the long"e" apparently puzzled the other man. 

"_Andromeeda_?" he muttered. "Spell it!"

"My godfather, this is an asylum for sure, " grunted Coke, in a spasm offurious mirth. "A-n-d-r-o-m-e-d-a. Now you've got it. Ain't it up toPortygee standard? A-n-d-r-o-m-e-d-a! 'Ow's that for the bloomin'spellin' bee?"

But Coke's humor made no appeal. The staring, brilliant eyes fixed onhim did not relax their vigilance, nor did any trace of emotion exhibititself in that calm voice. 

"You are unlucky, Captain Coke, most unlucky, " it said. "I regret mynatural mistake, which, it seems, was shared by the authorities ofFernando do Noronha. You have blundered into a nest of hornets, and, as a result, you have been badly stung. Let me explain matters. I amDom Corria Antonio De Sylva, ex-President of the Republic of Brazil. There is, at this moment, a determined movement on foot on the mainlandto replace me in power, and, with that object in view, efforts arebeing made to secure my escape from the convict settlement in which myenemies have imprisoned me. I and two faithful followers are here inhiding. My friend, Capitano Salvador De San Benavides, " and he bowedwith much dignity toward the uniformed officer, "came here two days agoin a felucca to warn me that a steamer would lie to about a mile southof the island to-night. The steamer's name is _Andros-y-Mela_--it israther like the name of your unhappy vessel--so much alike that the_Andromeda_ has been sunk by mistake. That is all. "

Coke, listening to this explanation with the virtuous wrath of a knavewho discovers that he has been wrongfully suspected, bristled now withindignation. 

"Oh, that's all, is it?" he cried sarcastically. "No, sir, it ain'tall, nor 'arf, nor quarter. Let me tell you that no crimson pirate onGawd's earth can blow a British ship off the 'igh seas an' then do thedancin'-master act, with 'is 'and on 'is 'eart, an' say it was just aflamin' mistake. All! says you? Don't you believe it. There's a lotmore to come yet, take my tip--a devil of a lot, or I'm the biggestlunatic within a ten-mile circle of w'ere I'm stannin', which is givin'long odds to any other crank in the whole creation. "

And Coke was right, though he little guessed then why he was sothoroughly justified in assuming that he and the other survivors of the_Andromeda_ had not yet gone through half, or quarter, or more than amere curtain-raising prelude to the strange human drama in which theywere destined to be the chief actors. 

CHAPTER VI

BETWEEN THE BRAZILIAN DEVIL AND THE DEEP ATLANTIC

There was an awkward pause. Coke, rascal though he was, andpot-bellied withal, was no Falstaff. Rather did he suggest thepresent-day atavism of some robber baron of the Middle Ages, whosehectoring speech bubbled forth from a stout heart. But the raggedex-President heeded him not. After a moment of placid scrutiny of hisenraged countenance by those bright, watchful eyes, Coke might havebeen non-existent so far as recognition of his outburst was apparentduring the sonorous discussion that ensued between Dom Corria AntonioDe Sylva and the Señor Capitano Salvador De San Benavides. 

The latter, it is true, betrayed excitement. At first he favored Iriswith a deprecatingly admiring glance, as one who would say, "Dear lady, accept my profound regret and respectful homage. " But that phasequickly passed. His leader was not a man to waste words, and thegallant captain's expressive face soon showed that he had grasped theessential facts. They did not please him. In fact, he was distinctlycowed, almost stunned, by his companion's revelations. 

It fell to De Sylva to explain matters to his unexpected guests. 

"My friend agrees with me that it is only fair that the exact positionshould be revealed to you, " he said, addressing Coke, though adignified gesture invited the others to share his confidence. 

"It don't take much tellin', " began Coke. De Sylva silenced him withan emphatic hand. 

"Please attend. The situation is not so simple as you seem to imagine. The loss of your ship cannot be dealt with here. It raises issues ofinternational law which can only be settled by courts and governments. You know, I suppose, that nothing will be done until a complaint islodged by a British minister, and that hinges upon the very doubtfulfact that you will ever again see your own country. "

The ex-President certainly had the knack of expressing himself clearly. Those concluding words rang like a knell. They even called Watts backfrom the slumber of unconsciousness; the "chief" stirred himself wherehe lay on the floor of the cavern, and began to quaver. 

 "----twelve old salts an' the skipper's lass Marooned in the Spanish Main, O. Sing hay----"

Coke, taken by surprise, was unable to stop this warbling earlier. Buthis hand clutched Watts's shoulder, and his venomous whisper of "Shutup, you ijjit!" was so unmistakable that the lyric ceased. 

De Sylva seemed to be aware of some peculiarity in the symptoms of thewounded man's recovery, but he continued speaking in the same balancedtone. 

"It happens, by idle chance, that my enemies have become yours. Themen who destroyed your ship thought they were injuring me. I have justpointed out to Capitano De San Benavides the precise outcome of thisattack. Until a few moments ago we shared the delusion that the troopson Fernando de Noronha believed we were now on our way to a Brazilianport. We were mistaken. More than that, we know now that they haveobtained news--probably through a traitor to our cause--of the_Andros-y-Mela's_ voyage. They were prepared for her coming. They hadmade arrangements to receive her--almost at the place decided on by ourfriends in Brazil. It is more than likely that the _Andros-y-Mela_ isnow lying under the guns of some coast fortress, since the presence oftroops and cannon on this side of the island is unprecedented. "

"I don't see wot all this 'as to do with me, " blurted out Cokedeterminedly. 

"No. It would not concern you in the least if you were safe at sea. But, since you are here, it does concern you most gravely. From onepoint of view, you served my cause well by preparing to lower a boat. You misled my persecutors as to locality, at least. Of course, I sawyou, and thought you were mad, but your action did help to conceal fromthe soldiers the secret of my true hiding-place. I wish to be candidwith you. If my friends and I had realized that you were here byaccident, we ought to have taken no steps to save you. "

"Really!" snarled Coke, eying the unruffled Brazilian much as anAndulusian bull might glare at a picador. A buzz of angry whisperingcame from the crew. Even Iris flashed a disdainful glance at the manwho uttered this atrocious sentiment. De Sylva raised his hand. Hepermitted himself the luxury of a wintry smile. 

"Pray, do not misunderstand me, " he said. "I am humane as most others, but it is difficult to decide whether or not mere humanity, settingaside self-interest, would not rather condemn you to the speedy deathof the wreck than drag you to the worse fate that awaits you here. Andplease remember that we did succor you, thus risking observation and avisit by the troops when the sea permits a landing. But that is notthe true issue. An hour ago there were four people on this barerock--four of us who looked for escape to-night. We were supplied withsuch small necessaries of existence as would enable us to live if ourrescuers were delayed for a day, or even two. Now, there will be norescue. We are--" he looked slowly around--"twenty instead of four;but we have the same quantity of stores, which consist of ahalf-emptied skin of wine, a bunch of bananas, a few scraps of maizebread, and some strips of dried meat. Do you follow me?"

Coke, who had been holding Watts in a sitting posture by a firm grip onhis collar, allowed the limp figure to sprawl headlong again. Hewanted to plunge both hands deeply into his trousers pockets, becausemen of his type associate attitude so closely with thought that the oneis apt to become almost dependent on the other. And so, for themoment, the safeguarding of Watts was of no consequence. But Watts hadbenefited much by the sousing of the spray, while his recovery wasexpedited by the forcible ejection of the salt water he had swallowed. He raised himself on one hand, and looked about with an inquiring eye. The Brazilian officer's uniform seemed to fascinate him. 

"'Ello!" he gurgled. "Run in? Well I'm----"

"Is not that man wounded? I thought I saw him dashed against therocks, " said De Sylva. 

"'E ought to be, " said Coke, "but 'e's on'y drunk. A skin o' rum, 'arfempty, too, just like your skin o' wine, mister. "

"Let him be taken outside and gagged if he resists. "

There was an uneasy movement among the men. Their common impulse wasto obey. Coke spread his feet a little apart. 

"Leave 'im alone. 'E'll do no 'arm now, " he said. 

"I cannot be interrupted, " cried De Sylva, whose iron self-restraintseemed to be yielding before British truculence. 

"I'll keep 'im quiet but I can't 'ave 'im roasted afore 'is time, an'that's wot's 'ul 'appen if you tied him up in that gulley. "

"Thanke'ee, skipper. You allus were a reel pal, " murmured Watts. 

Coke bent over him. 

"If your tongue don't stop waggin' it'll soon be stickin' out betweenyer teeth, " he hissed. "This ain't no fancy lock-up in the East InjiaDock Road, Arthur, me boy. They won't bring you a pint of cocoa 'ere, an' ax if you're comfortable. You 'aven't long to live accordin' toall accounts, so just close your mouth an' open your ears, an' mebbeyou'll know w'y. "

De Sylva regained his self-possession with a rapidity that wassignificant. He had not climbed to the presidential chair of theRepublic from a clerkship in the London Embassy of the Empire withoutacquiring the habit of estimating his fellow men speedily andaccurately. Here was one who might be led, but would never permithimself to be driven. Moreover, this dethroned ruler was by way ofbeing a philosopher. 

"I hate drunkards, " he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You cannottrust them. If I had been surrounded by trustworthy men, I shouldnot----"

He broke off. There was a sound of hurrying footsteps on the steeppathway. A figure, clad in rags that surpassed even De Sylva's, appeared in the entrance. A brief colloquy took place. De Sylva'seager questions were answered in monosyllables, or the nearest approachthereto. 

"Marcel tells me that one of your boats is drifting away with a manlying in the bottom, " came the uneasy explanation. 

Coke's face showed a degree of surprise, which, in his case, was almostinvariably akin to disbelief, but an exclamation from Hozier drew alleyes. 

"Good Lord!" he cried, "that must be the lifeboat I was trying to clearwhen the ship struck. Macfarlane was helping me, but he was hit by abullet and dropped across the thwarts. I thought he was dead!"

"Dead or alive, he is better off than we, " said De Sylva. Hequestioned Marcel again briefly. "There can be no doubt that the manin the boat cast off the lashings when he found that the ship wassinking, " he continued in English. "Marcel saw him doing that, andwondered why he was alone. At any rate, if he is carried beyond thereef, he has a fighting chance. We have none. "

"Why not? Are these men on the island so deaf to human sympathies thatthey would murder all of us in cold blood?"

The girl's sweet, low-pitched voice sounded inexpressibly sad in thatvaulted place. Even De Sylva's studied control gave way before itsmusic. He uttered some anguished appeal to the deity in his owntongue, and flung out his hands impulsively. 

"What would you have me say?" he cried, and his eyes blazed, while thescar on his forehead darkened with the gust of passion that swept overhis strong features. "I might lie to you, and try to persuade you thatwe can exist here without food or water, whereas to-morrow, or next dayat the utmost, will see most of us dead. But in a few hours you willrealize what it means to be kept on this bare rock under a tropicalsun. You can do one thing. Your party greatly outnumbers mine. Climbto the top-most pinnacle and signal to the island. You will soon beseen. "

He laughed with a savage irony that was not good to hear, but Cokecaught at the suggestion. 

"Even that is better'n tearin' one another like mad dogs, " he growled. "I know wot's comin'. I've seen it wonst. "

Hozier made for the exit, where Marcel stood, irresolute, apparentlywaiting for orders. 

"Where are you going?" demanded De Sylva. 

"To see what is becoming of the lifeboat. "

"Better not. You cannot help your friend, and the instant it becomesknown to the troops that there is a living soul on the Grand-père rockthey will come in a steam launch and shoot everyone at sight. "

"Will that be the answer to our signal?"

It was Iris who asked the question, and the Brazilian's voice softenedagain. 

"Yes, " he said. 

"Why, then, do you advise us to seek our own destruction?"

He bowed. His manner was almost humble. 

"It is the easier way, " he murmured. 

"Is there no other?"

"None--unless we attack two hundred soldiers with sticks, and stones, and three revolvers, and a sword. "

Hozier came back. He had merely stepped a pace or two into thesunlight. Through the northerly dip of the gulley he had seen theship's boat whirled past an islet by the fierce current. Macfarlanewas not visible. Perhaps that was better so. At any rate, the sightof the small craft vanishing behind one of the island barriers broughthome with telling force the predicament of those who remained. Nowthat the sheer frenzy of the wreck had relaxed, Philip's head was liketo split with the throbbing anguish of the blow he had received. Buthis mind was clearer. De Sylva's words, amplifying his own vaguerecollection of the scene on board the _Andromeda_, enabled him toconstruct a picture of events as they were. And his blood boiled whenhe thought of Iris, snatched many times from death, only to face itonce more in the ravening form of starvation and thirst. 

"Attack!" he said hoarsely. "How is that possible? A deep and widechannel separates us from the main island. "

The Brazilian, who seemed to have argued himself into a state of stoicdespair, gave a startling answer. 

"We have a boat, a sort of boat, " he said quietly. 

"How many will it hold?"

"Three, in a smooth sea, and with skilled handling. It nearlyoverturned when I and two others crossed from the island, a distance ofthree hundred yards. "

"But we have ropes, clothes, perhaps some few pieces of wreckage. Cannothing be done to repair it?"

"Meaning that we draw lots to see who shall endeavor to escapeto-night?"

"The men might even do that. "

"Ah, yes--the men, of course. I think it hopeless. But, try it! Yes, certainly, try it!"

A pause, more eloquent than the most impassioned speech, showed howthis frail straw, eddying in the vortex of their fate, might yet beclutched at. San Benavides, trying vainly to guess what was beingsaid, blurted forth an anxious inquiry. His compatriot explainedbriefly. Somehow, the measured cadence of their talk had a lessreliable sound than the vigorous Anglo-Saxon. They were both bravemen. They had not scrupled to risk their lives in an enterprise wheresuccess beckoned even doubtingly. But they were lacking when all thatremained to be settled was how best to die; in such an hour the men ofan English speaking race will ever choose a fighting death. 

This time, it was a woman who decided. 

Iris rose to her feet. She brushed back the strands of damp hair fromher face, and with deft hands made a rough-and-ready coil of herabundant tresses. 

"Are you planning to send me with two others adrift in a boat, whileseventeen men are left here?" she asked. 

The Brazilian ceased speaking. There was another uneasy pause. Hozierfelt that the question was addressed to him, but he was tongue-tied, almost shame-faced. Coke, however, did not shirk the task ofenlightening her. 

"Something like that, " he said. "We can't let you cut in with the restof us, missy. That wouldn't be reasonable. But it's best to fix thebusiness fair an' square. We ain't agoin' to try any other way, not solong as _I'm_ skipper, " and he looked with brutal frankness at De Sylvaand the anxious but uncomprehending San Benavides. 

The ex-President knew what he meant; even in his despondency heresented the implied slur on his good faith. 

"You cannot examine the boat until darkness sets in, " he said. "Thenyou will find out how frail a foundation you are building on. It isabsolutely ridiculous to assume that she can be made seaworthy. Heroccupants would be drowned before they were clear of the islands. "

"In any case, I refuse to go, " said Iris. 

De Sylva smiled gloomily. 

"You are courageous, senhora, and, in some respects, you are wise, " hesaid. "Yet . . . I must admit it . . . I would urge you to select theboat--in preference . . . "

Marcel, the Brazilian who had come to tell them of the driftinglife-boat, turned away from the mouth of the cavern, and scrambled downthe ravine. 

"Wot's 'e after?" demanded Coke, suddenly suspicious. 

"He and Domingo are keeping a lookout, " said De Sylva. "If thesoldiers intend to visit us we should at least be warned. The boat ishidden among the rocks on the landward side, " he added, not without atouch of scorn. 

"That man has taught us our own duty, " cried Iris. "The boat thatbrought these men to this rock can bring nineteen men and a woman toFernando Noronha. We must land there to-night. With those to guide uswho know the coast, surely that should be possible. We have a right tostruggle for our lives. We, of the _Andromeda_, at least, have done nowrong to the cruel wretches who sought to kill us without mercy to-day. Why should we not endeavor to defend ourselves? There is food there, and guns in plenty. Let us take them. Above all, let us not dream ofany such useless device as this proposal to send three to drownsomewhere in the sea and leave seventeen to perish miserably here. Weare in God's hands. Let us trust to Him, but while doing that fullyand fearlessly, we must seek life, not death. "

"Bully for you, miss!" roared a sailor, and a growl of admiration rangthrough the cave. Instantly a hubbub of talk showed how intent thecrew had been on the previous discussion, but Coke shouted them intosilence. 

"Oo axed wot _you_ think, you swabs?" he bellowed. "Stow your lip!Sink me, if you don't all do as you're bid, an' keep still tongues inyour 'eds, I'll want to know w'y--P. D. Q. "

A big, blond Norwegian, Hans Olsen by name, strode forward. Unlike theusual self-contained Norseman, he was reputed a "sea-lawyer" in theforecastle. 

"We haf somedings ter zay for our lifes, yez, " he protested. Coke bentand butted him violently in the stomach with his head. The man crashedagainst the rocky wall, and sat dazed where he had fallen. 

"You've got to obey orders--savvy?" growled Coke. 

"Yez, " gasped Olsen, evidently fearing a further assault. 

The incident ended. Its outstanding feature was the amazing activitydisplayed by the burly skipper, who had rammed his man before the bigfellow could lift a finger. It might be expected that Iris would showsome sign of dismay, owing to this unlooked-for violence. But she wasnow beyond the reach of merely feminine emotions. She had protestedagainst the kicking of Watts because it seemed to lack motive, becauseWatts was helpless, and because she herself was half-delirious at thetime. Olsen's attitude, on the other hand, hinted at mutiny, andmutiny must be repressed at any cost. 

De Sylva's incisive accents helped to bridge a moment fraught withpossibilities, for it would be idle to assume that this polyglotgathering was composed of Bayards. Self-preservation is apt to provestronger than chivalry under such circumstances. Let it be assumedthat three among the twenty could escape that night, and it washorribly true that the field of selection might be narrowed by awild-beast struggle long before the sun went down. 

"The young lady has at least given us a project, " he said. "It is adesperate one, Heaven knows! It offers a fantastic chance, and I cansee no other, but--what can we do without arms?"

"Use our heads, " put in Hozier. He had not the slightest intention ofmaking a light-hearted joke at that crisis in their affairs, but hehappened to look at Coke, and an involuntary smile gleamed through thecrust of clotted blood and perspiration that gave his good-looking facea most sinister aspect. The Irishman cackled with laughter. 

"Begob, that's wan for the skipper, " he crowed; then some of the othersgrinned, and the _Andromeda's_ little company stood four-square againto the winds of adversity. Having blundered into prominence, thesecond mate was quick to see that he must hammer home the facts, thoughin more serious vein. 

"Bring us to the island, Senhor De Sylva, " he said, "and we will make afight of it. In any case, even if we fail, they will not deliberatelykill a woman. There must be other women there who will intervene inbehalf of one of their own sex. But we may succeed. It is improbablethat the whole of the troops will be gathered in one spot. Why shouldwe not take some small detachment by surprise and secure their weapons?If we can land unobserved, we ought to be able to drop on themapparently from the skies. I take it that the presence here of CaptainSan Benavides is unknown, and the leadership of an officer in theenemy's own uniform should turn the scale in our favor. Have you nofollowers among the troops or islanders? Suppose we make good ourfirst attack, and seize a strong position--isn't it probable we mayreceive assistance from your partisans?"

"Perhaps--among the convicts, " was De Sylva's grim reply. 

"No officials, or soldiers?"

"Not one. They are chosen for this service on account of theiranimosity against the former Government. How else could you accountfor their treatment of unarmed men on a ship crippled by their firstshell?"

"You spoke of a steam launch. Where is that kept?"

"At a wharf under the walls of the citadel which commands the town andanchorage. "

"Assuming we have a stroke of luck and rush some outpost, would it bepossible to cross the island before dawn and board the launch or someother craft in which we can put to sea?"

"There is only the launch, and some small fishing catamarans. No otherboats are allowed to exist on the island, in order to prevent theescape of convicts. The boat we possess is really a badly-constructedcatamaran, without a sail, and minus the out-rigger which alone rendersit safe for the shortest voyage. "

"Wy didn't you say that sooner, mister?" put in Coke. "If some ofthese jokers knew wot sort of craft it was, mebbe it wouldn't 'aveneeded a shove in the stommick to bring Hans Olsen to heel. "

"I am sorry, " said De Sylva. "You see, I realized the utter folly oftrying to escape in that fashion. "

The two men looked each other squarely in the eye. The ex-President ofa great republic and the master of a worn-out tramp steamer were bothborn leaders of men. Whatsoever prospect of a cabal existedpreviously, it was scotched now, beyond doubt. Henceforth, no matterwhat ills threatened, surely the little army mustered on the Grand-pèrerock would stand or fall together!

An unerring token of unity was forthcoming at once. 

"Please, miss, an' gents all, may we smoke?" pleaded a voice. 

Iris was for an immediate permission, but De Sylva shook his head. 

"Not until the tide falls, " he said. "There is a very real fear of avisit from the launch. It has passed this spot four times during thepast two days--ever since my absence was discovered, in fact. Thesoldiers have searched every outlying island, but they have avoidedGrand-père because it is believed that a landing is highly dangerous ifnot quite impracticable. My friend Marcel, a fisherman, discovered byaccident the only safe means of reaching the path which winds round theisland. Happily, the wretch who betrayed the mission of the_Andros-y-Mela_ did not know the secret of my refuge. And I see nowthat the Governor must be convinced that I am still hiding among thecliffs, or your vessel would not have appeared off South Point thismorning. No, there must be no smoking as yet. In this clear air theslightest cloud might be seen rising above the rocks from without. "

Marcel reappeared at the entrance. With him was another man, whomHozier remembered seeing when he was hauled up from the ship with Iris. 

"Ah, I was not mistaken, " went on De Sylva. "Here comes news of thelaunch! They have signaled for it across the island. "

Marcel entered the cave with an expressive gesture, for long habit hadalmost robbed him of his native vivacity. His companion, Domingo, climbed the opposite wall of the ravine and stretched himself at fulllength in a niche where there was room for a man to lie. Some tufts ofrough grass grew there in sufficient density to conceal his head whilehe peered between the stalks. They could see him quite plainly, but noone wanted to speak. Though the unceasing wash of a heavy swellagainst the rocks would have drowned the noise had they shouted inunison, there was no need to tell anyone present that a very real anddangerous crisis had arrived. The slow change in the direction ofDomingo's gaze showed the approach and passing of the hostile vessel. It was evident that a long halt was made in the channel close to thewreck, of which some fragments remained above water. Still, curiouslyenough, it was impossible for those on board the launch to read theship's name, since the word "_Andromeda_, " twice embossed on the sharpcut-water, was hidden by the jutting rocks on both sides of the cleft. 

But it was not the fear of instant death following on the discoverythat the Grand-père islet was inhabited that kept tongues mute and earson the alert during a quarter of an hour that seemed to be protractedto a quarter of a day. At present they were shut off from hostilebullets by the walls of a fortress stronger than any that could bebuilt by men's hands. The greater danger was that the enemy'ssuspicions might be aroused. Let those who held Fernando Noronha withthe armed forces of Brazil once come to regard the isolated rock in midchannel as providing even a possible refuge for the ex-President andhis friends, and it would mean the complete overthrow of the slenderchance of saving their lives that still offered itself. 

So they waited in silence, watching the rigid figure of the prostrateBrazilian, just as those among them who were saved from the _Andromeda_had watched the arch of spray and spindrift from the slowly sinkingforecastle. 

At last Domingo turned his head slightly, and gave them a reassuringlittle nod. He said something, which De Sylva translated. 

"They have a photograph of the wreck, " he said, "and are now steamingthrough the northerly channel to the anchorage on the west side of theisland. Most fortunately, they do not seem to be aware of yourdrifting boat. "

Then he added, with a courtliness that was so incongruous with hisunkempt appearance and patched and tattered garments;--"If the Senhorapermits, the men may smoke now. In another hour the channel will notbe navigable. We have a hot and tiring day before us, and I advisesleep for those to whom it is vouchsafed. If the weather continues toimprove, the next tide will bring us a smooth sea. Given that, and adark night--well--we may make history. Who knows?"

CHAPTER VII

CROSS PURPOSES

Though Iris gave such warlike counsel, it would be doing her a graveinjustice to assume that her gentle disposition was changed because ofthe day's sufferings. The erstwhile light-hearted schoolgirl andyouthful mistress of her uncle's house had been subjected to dynamicinfluences. The ordeal through which she had passed, unscathed bodilybut seared in spirit, had left her strung to a tense pitch. Relaxationhad not come--as yet. She only knew that she resented to the uttermostthe Brazilians' malevolent fury. Hers was a nature that could notendure unfairness. It was unfair of David Verity to seek to mend hisshattered fortunes by forcing her into a hateful marriage; unfair ofboth Verity and Coke to found their new venture on a great fraud; andmonstrously unfair of these island factionaries to vent their spite onan innocent ship. So, for the hour, she was inspired. It is thehigh-souled enthusiast who devotes life itself to a cause; those whopractice oppression have ever most to beware of in the man or womanwhose conscience will not condone a wrong. 

Of course, in this present clash of emotions, Iris little understoodwhat her advice really meant. She was appealing to heaven rather thanto the force of arms. To one of her temperament, it seemed incrediblethat a number of inoffensive strangers should be slaughtered because aSouth American republic could not agree in choosing a president. Sucha thing was unheard of in her previous experience, built on no moresolid foundation than the humdrum existence of Brussels and Bootle. And the inhabitants of neither Brussels nor Bootle settle theirpolitical differences by shooting casual visitors at sight. 

Oddly enough, the only professional soldier present condemned herproject roundly when it was mooted. 

"In leaving the island to-night you are acting on an assumption, "protested Captain San Benavides to his chief. "You cannot be sure thatthe _Andros-y-Mela_ will not appear. The arrangement is that she is tosend a boat here soon after midnight, yet, if this mad scheme of anattack on armed troops by unarmed men is persisted in, we must begin toferry to the island long before that hour. In all probability, weshall be discovered at once. At the very moment that our friends areeagerly awaiting us on board the ship we may be lying dead on theisland. The notion is preposterous. Be guided by me, Dom Corria, anddecline to have anything to do with it. Better still, let theseEnglish boors promise to forget that we are alive; then Marcel canguide them to the landing-place, where they will be shot speedily andcomfortably. There is no sense in sacrificing the girl. She must bekept here on some pretext. "

The ex-President took thought before he answered. He did not denyhimself that the confident air of these hard-bitten sailors made strongappeal to his judgment. He had his own reasons for distrusting someamong his professed supporters, and he did not share his militaryaide's opinion as to the coming of the promised vessel. 

"There is a good deal in what you say, senhor adjudante, " he announcedafter his bright eyes had dwelt on San Benavides' expressive face inthoughtful scrutiny. "In England they have a proverb that a man cannotboth run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, but such maxims arenot framed for would-be Presidents. I fear we must fall in with ourallies' views, _faute de mieux_. You and I have to lead a headstrongarmy. That little Hercules of a commander is stubborn as a mule--amule that has the strength and courage of a wild boar. The younger manthinks only of the girl's safety. He, at least, will not consent toleave her. Both, backed by their crew, will not scruple to sacrificeus if their interests point that way. Trust me to twist them into thecourse that shall best serve our own needs. I am now going to tellthem that you approve of their plan. "

Forthwith he launched out into an English version of the excellentcaptain's comments. His precise, well-turned periods were admirable. Their marked defect was that he said the exact contrary to SanBenavides. 

Iris, having a born aptitude for languages, spoke French and Germanwith some proficiency. She had also devoted many hours to the study ofSpanish during the past winter, and it happens that the Portuguese ofBrazil is less unlike Spanish than the Portuguese of Lisbon. InEurope, national antipathies serve to accentuate existing differencesbetween the two tongues, but the peoples of the South American seaboardfeel the need of a common speech, and local conditions havestandardized many words. Hence, the Spanish language will serve allordinary purposes among the Latin races who have made their own thevast continent that stretches from Panama to Tierra del Fuego. 

So the girl's super-active brain was puzzled by De Sylva's rendering ofhis military friend's remarks. With the vaguest knowledge of what wasactually said, she suspected that San Benavides had opposed the veryproject which, according to the President, he favored. She had caughtthe name of the relief vessel, the words _bote_, "boat, " _las doce_, "twelve o'clock, " _à bordo de buque_, "on board the ship, " and otherswhich did not figure in the translation. She wondered why. 

The long day wore slowly. The heat was intense. Even the hardenedsailors soon found that if the atmosphere of the cavern were to remainendurable they might not smoke. So pipes were extinguished, and theytried to better their condition. Water-soaked coats and boots placedin the sun were dry in a few minutes. Iris was persuaded to allow herdress to be treated in this manner. She was still wearing the heavyulster of the early morning--when the aftermath of the gale was chilland searching--and the possession of this outer wrap made easy thetemporary discarding of a skirt and blouse. 

Unhappily, she answered in French some simple query of the dapperofficer's. Thenceforth, to her great bewilderment and Hozier'smanifest annoyance, he pestered her with compliments and inquiries. Toavoid both, she expressed a longing for sleep. It seemed to herexcited imagination that she would never be able to sleep again, yether limbs were scarcely composed in comfort on a litter of coarse grassand parched seaweed than her eyes closed in the drowsiness of sheerexhaustion. This respite was altogether helpful. She had slept butlittle during the gale, and its tremendous climax had surprised hervitality at a low ebb. 

When she awoke, the ravine was in shadow and the interior of the cavewas dark. Her first conscious sensation was that of almost intolerablethirst. Her lips were blistered, her tongue and palate sore, and sheasked herself in alarm what new evil was afflicting her, until sheremembered the drenching she had received and the amount of salt-ladenair that had passed into her lungs. Nevertheless, she criedinvoluntarily for water, and again she was offered wine. She managedto smile in a strained fashion at this malicious humor of fortune. Bya freak of memory she called to mind the somewhat similar predicamentof the crew of a storm-tossed ship that she had once read about. Theyran short of water, but the vessel carried hundreds of cases of bottledstout. During three long weeks of boating against the wind thosewretched men were compelled to drink stout morning, noon, and night, and never did temperance argument apply with greater force to theseafaring community than toward the end of that enforced regimen ofmalt liquor. 

Hozier, who had aroused her by touching her shoulder, fancied he sawthe gleam of merriment in her face. 

"What is amusing you?" he asked. 

She told him, though she spoke with difficulty. 

"It is not quite so bad as that, " he said. "If there is no hitch inour plans, we should be on the island within five hours. We haveeverything thought out as far as may be in view of the unknown. At anyrate, Miss Yorke, if we succeed in getting you safely ashore, youpersonally will have but slight cause for further anxiety. Theproposal is that Marcel shall take you at once to the hut of an oldconvict whom he can trust----"

"A convict!" she gasped. The word was ominous, and she was hardlyawake. 

"The population of Fernando Noronha is almost entirely made of convictsand soldiers, " he explained. 

"But am I to be left there alone?"

"What else is there to be done? You cannot join in the attack on afort--and that offers our only chance, it would seem. Granted aneffective surprise, we may carry it. Then your guardian will bring youto us. "

"What if you fail?"

"We must not fail, " he said quietly. 

"Please do not hide the alternative from me, " she pleaded. "I haveendured so much----"

"Well, don't you see, this man--who, by the way, is married, and has adaughter aged fourteen--will, if necessary, reveal your presence to theGovernor. By that time, say, in a day or two, the excitement will havedied down, the news of your escape will be cabled to England, you willbe sent to the coast on the Government steamer, and you can travel homeby the next mail. "

"That sounds very simple--and European, " she said, and the patheticsarcasm was not lost on him. 

"It is reasonable enough. Unfortunately for us, all the bother centersround Senhor De Sylva, to whom we owe our lives. He is outside at themoment, showing our skipper the lay of the land before the light fails, so I am free to speak plainly. When he is dead there will be nofurther trouble, till the next revolution. But why endeavor to lookahead when seeing is impossible? At present, what really presses isthe necessity that you should eat and drink. We have shared out thewhole of the available food. Here is your portion. We deemed it bestto give the men one square meal. They know now that they must earn thenext one. "

With each instant her perceptive powers were quickening. She was awarethat he had deliberately avoided the main issue. De Sylva's probabledeath implied a good deal, but it was the supreme test of her couragethat she refrained from useless questioning. Yet she thrust aside thetwo bananas and supply of dried meat and crusts that Hozier placedbefore her. 

"I cannot eat, " she murmured, striving to control her voice. 

"But you must. It is imperative. You would not wish to break down atthe very moment your best energies will be in demand. Our lives, aswell as your own, may depend on your strength. Come, Miss Yorke, nowoman could have been pluckier than you. Don't fail us now. "

The gloom was deepening momentarily. Hozier's back was turned to theentrance, and, in the ever-growing darkness, she was unable to see hisface; but his anxious protest in no wise deceived her; she even smiledagain at the ruse that attempted to saddle her with some measure ofresponsibility for the success or failure of the raid. 

"If I promise to eat--and drink this sour wine--will you be candid?"she asked. 

"Well----"

"One must bargain. There is no other way. . . . Promise!"

"I suppose you mean that I must agree to please you by wild guessingabout events that may turn out quite differently. "

"Candid, I said. "

"Yes--that most certainly. "

"In the first place, may we go into the fresh air? I must have sleptmany hours. What time is it?"

"About seven o'clock. "

"Seven! Have I been lying here since goodness knows what time thismorning?"

"You were thoroughly used up, " he said, and he added, with a laugh: "Ifit is any consolation, I may tell you that, to the best of my belief, you never moved nor uttered a sound. "

"For instance, I didn't snore, " she cried, rising to her feet, andthanking the kindly night that veiled her untidiness. 

"I--don't--think so. "

"Oh, please be more positive than that. You send a cold shiver down myback. "

"Several members of the _Andromeda's_ crew also indulged in a prolongedsiesta, " he said. "I assure you it was almost out of the question todivide the sleepers into snorers and non-snorers. "

A man will talk harmless nonsense of that sort when he is at his wit'send to wriggle out of a perplexing situation. Hozier was deputed toobtain the girl's consent to the proposal he had already put beforeher. He feared that she would refuse compliance, for he understood herfine temper better than the others. He was a young man--one but littleversed in the ways of women--yet some instinct warned him that therewas a nobility in Iris Yorke's nature that might set self at naught andurge her to share her companions' lot, even though certain death werethe outcome. 

They passed together through the cavern. Watts, sound asleep, waslying there. The majority of the men were seated on the rocks without, or lounging near the entrance. They were smoking now freely, the onlystipulation being that matches were not to be struck in the open. Their whispered talk ceased when they saw the girl. Absorbed in theprospect of a fight for life, for the moment they had forgotten her, but a murmured tribute of sympathy and recognition greeted herappearance. 

The Irishman found his tongue first. 

"Begorrah, miss, " he said, "but it's the proud man I'll be the nexttime I see you smilin' from the kay side at Liverpool, no matterwhether I'm there meself or not. "

No one laughed at the absurd phrase which so clearly expressed itsmeaning. But the ship's cook, Peter, noting the strips of dried meatin her hands, raised a grin by saying:

"Sorry the galley fire is out, miss, or I'd 'ave stewed 'em a bit. "

This kindly badinage was gratifying, though it helped to reveal theinterrupted topic of their conversation. There was no hiding thedesperate character of the coming adventure. The _Andromeda's_ crewdid not attempt to minimize it. The choice offered lay only in themanner of their death. As to the prospect of ultimate escape, theyhardly gave it a thought. Some among them had served in the armies ofEurope, and they, at least, were under no delusion concerning the issueof an attack on a fort by less than a score of unarmed men--seventeento be exact, since two of the ship's company were so maimed by thebursting of the shell on the forecastle as to be practically helpless;it was by the rarest good fortune that they were able to walk. 

Iris smiled at them in her frank way. 

"I hope you will all be spared to ship on a new _Andromeda_, " she said. No sooner had the words left her lips than the thought came unbidden:"If my uncle and Captain Coke wished the ship to be thrown away, nothing could have better suited their purposes than this tragic error. "

For the instant, the unforeseen outcome of that Sunday afternoon'splotting in the peaceful garden of Linden House held her imagination. She recalled each syllable of it, and there throbbed in her brain thehitherto undreamed of possibility that Coke had brought the _Andromeda_to Fernando Noronha in pursuance of his thievish project. 

At once she whispered to Hozier:

"Is there anyone on the path below?"

"No, " he said. "The Brazilians are with Coke at the top of the gully. "

"Is it safe for us to go the other way. "

"I think so. But you must be careful not to slip. "

She caught his arm, little knowing the thrill her clasp sent throughhis frame. This simple gesture of her confidence was bitter-sweet. Heresolutely closed his eyes to the knowledge that this might be theirlast talk. 

"I shall not fall, " she said. "I am a good mountaineer. I learnt thetrick of it in Cumberland. Come with me. There is a pleasant breezeblowing from the sea. "

They climbed down. Neither spoke until they stood on the curving ledgethat had proved their salvation. Though the tide was rising again, theheavy sea was gone. The current still created some spume and noise asit swept past the reef, but its anger had vanished with the gale. Beyond the fringe of broken water a slight swell only served to mirrorin countless facets the tender light of a perfect sunset. The easternhorizon was a broad line of silver. Nearer, the shadow of the islandcreated bands of purest green and ultramarine. 

They reached the place from which the Brazilians had thrown the rope. They could hear the quiet plash of the water in the cleft. Piledagainst a low-lying rock were the funnel and other debris of the_Andromeda_. The black hull was plainly visible beneath the surface. Even while they were looking at the wreck a huge fish curled his tenfeet of length with stealthy grace from out some dim recess; it mightbe, perhaps, from out the crushed shell of the chart-room. 

Hozier glanced at his companion. He half expected her to shrink backappalled at this sinister sight; it was her destiny to surprise him notonce but many times during that amazing period. 

"Is that a shark?" she asked quietly. 

"Yes. . . . You stipulated for candor, you know. "

"I had no notion that such a monster could move with so great elegance. I think I would rather be eaten by a shark than lie at the bottom ofthe sea like our poor vessel there. "

"Even a shark would appreciate the compliment, " he said. 

Her eyes continued to watch the terrifying apparition until it prowledinto hidden depths again. 

"I am not sorry I have seen it, " she murmured. "It helps one tounderstand. We are glib concerning the laws of nature, and seem toregard them much as the printed regulations stuck on hackney carriages, whatsoever they may be. Yet, how cruelly just they are! I supposethat the finding of the ship's booty by that huge creature has given anew span of life to some weaker fish. "

Hozier did not know whether or not she had realized the shark's realquest. Her next words enlightened him. 

"If we follow the others, will the soldiers throw our dead bodies intothe sea?" she asked. 

"I want you to believe that you will be absolutely safe if we escapebeing discovered during the crossing of the narrow strip of water thatseparates this rock from the island, " he hastened to say. "That isyour only risk, and it is a light one. Senhor De Sylva is sure thatthe troops will not keep the keenest lookout to-night. They are stillconvinced that the insurgent steamer is sunk. Our chief danger willdate from to-morrow's dawn. Marcel reports that a systematic search ofthe island was begun to-day. It will be continued to-morrow, but onnew lines, because, by that time, they will have learnt the truth. The_Andros-y-Mela_ is not lying in pieces at the foot of this rock, thePresident has not escaped, and every practicable inch of FernandoNoronha and the adjacent islands will be scoured in the hope of findinghim. At first sight, that looks like being in our favor; in reality, it means the end if we are discovered here. The soldiers will shootfirst and inquire afterwards. I have not the slightest doubt but thatplenty of evidence will be forthcoming that we were a set ofdesperadoes who had unlawfully interfered in the affairs of a foreignstate. "

She appeared to be weighing this argument, sitting in judgment on DeSylva and his theories. 

"I want to do that which is for the good of all, " she said at length. "Do you ask me to go to this convict's house, Mr. Hozier?"

"I urge it on you with the utmost conviction. With you off our hands, we can act freely. We must deliver an attack to-night. God in Heaven, you cannot think that we would expose you to the perils of a desperatefight!"

His sudden outburst was unexpected, even by himself. He trembled in anagony of passion. Iris placed a timid hand on his shoulder. 

"I will go, " she whispered. "Please do not be distressed on myaccount. I will go. I brought you here, not to discuss my own fate, but yours. These Brazilians will not scruple to make use of you, andthen throw you aside if it suits their purpose. That man, De Sylva, does not care how he attains power, and I know that he and the officerentertain some plan which they have not revealed to you. "

"You . . . _know_. "

"Yes. I understand a little of their language. I have a mere glimpseof its sense, as one sees a landscape through a mist. When De Sylvatold you to-day that San Benavides was with you heart and soul, he waslying. There were things said about a ship, and midnight, and a boat. I watched the officer's face. He was wholly opposed to the landingto-night. My mind is not so vague now. I think I can grasp hismeaning. Was it not to-night that the _Andros-y-Mela_ was to appear?"

"Yes. "

"Well, may they not hope secretly that she will keep to the fixed hour?Once you and I and the others are on the island, and an alarm is given, the Brazilians could slip away unnoticed. Yes, that is it. I do nottrust them any more than I trusted Captain Coke. Don't you realizethat he brought the _Andromeda_ to this place in order to wreck hermore easily? It was to supply a pretext for the visit that he madeundrinkable the water in the ship's tanks. "

That appealing hand still rested on Philip's shoulder. Its touchaffected him profoundly. With a lightning dart of memory his thoughtswent back to the moment when she lay, inert and half-fainting, in hisarms on the bridge, after he had taken her from the lazarette. But hecontrolled his voice sufficiently to say:

"You may be right; indeed, I know you are right, so far as Coke isconcerned. When I went aft to find out if one of the boats could notbe cleared, I noticed that a steering-gear box had been prised openagain. I had time for only a second's glance, but I was sure thedamage had not been done by a bullet. So the _Andromeda_ was doomed tobe lost, no matter what happened. By ----, forgive me, Miss Yorke, butthis kind of thing makes one savage. "

"Perhaps it is matterless now. Coke will stand by the rest of us inour struggle for life, at any rate. But the Brazilians----"

"Have no fear of them. I, too, have watched San Benavides. I don'tlike the fellow, and wouldn't place an ounce of faith in him, but DeSylva has brains, and he knows well enough that no ship from Brazilwill come to Fernando Noronha in his behalf. In fact, he dreads avisit by a Government vessel, in which event our frail chance ofseizing that launch----"

She felt, rather than saw, that he had suddenly grown rigid. His rightarm flew out and drew her to him. 

"Sh-s-s-h!" he breathed, and pulled her behind a rock. Her woman'sheart yielded to dread of the unseen. It pulsed violently, and she wastempted to scream. Despite his warning, she must at least havewhispered a question, but her ears caught a sound to which they werenow well accustomed. The light chug-chug of an engine and the flappingof a propeller came up to them from the sea. The steam launch wasapproaching. Perhaps they had been seen already! As if to emphasizethis new peril, there was an interval of silence. Steam had been shutoff. Philip touched the girl's lips lightly with a finger. Then helay flat on the ledge and began to creep forward. It was impossiblethat he should run and warn the others, but it was essential, above allelse, that he should ascertain what the men on the launch were doing, and the extent of their knowledge. 

He found a tuft of the grass that clung to a crevice where its rootsdrew hardy sustenance from the crumbling rock; he ventured to thrusthis head through this screen, following Domingo's example some hoursearlier. Almost directly beneath, his eager glance found the littlevessel. She was floating past with the current. He peered down on toher deck as if from the top of a mast. A few cigarette-smokingofficers were grouped in her bows. Apparently, they were moreinterested in the remains of the _Andromeda_ than in the naturalfortress overhead. Clustered round the hatch were some twentysoldiers, also smoking. 

One of the officers pointed to the ledge; he was excited and emphatic. Philip could not imagine that they had detected him, but he feared lestIris, in her agitation, might have moved. In that clear, calm air, noteven the growing dusk would hide the flutter of a skirt or the alteredposition of a white face. A man in charge of the wheel replied to theofficer with a laugh. The first speaker turned, glanced at theBrothers reef, behind which the _Andromeda's_ boat had vanished thatmorning, and nodded dubiously. The man at the wheel growled an order, and the engine started again. Though Hozier knew not what was said, the significance of this pantomime was not lost on him. The localpilot was afraid of these treacherous waters in the dark, but next dayFrade de Francez (which is the islanders' name for the Grand-père Rock)would surely be explored if a landing could be made. At a guess, thesilent watcher took it that the steersman had declined to make acircuit of the rock until the light was good. 

Away bustled the launch, but Hozier did not move until there was norisk of his figure being silhouetted against the sky. Even then, hewormed his way backward with slow caution. Iris was crouched where hehad left her, wide-eyed, motionless. 

"Good job we came here, " he said. "It is evident they mean to maintaina patrol until there is news of De Sylva one way or the other. It willbe interesting now to hear what the gallant San Benavides says. If anyship comes to Fernando Noronha to-night she will be seen from theisland long before any signal is visible at this point. "

"Do you think the others saw the launch?" she asked. 

"No--not unless some of the men strayed down the gully, which they weretold not to do. The breakers would drown the noise of the engines andscrew. "

There was a slight pause. 

"Will you tell them?" she went on. 

"Why not?"

This time the pause was more eloquent than words. Quite unconsciously, Iris replied to her own question. 

"Of course, as you said a little while ago, we owe our lives to DomCorria De Sylva, " she murmured, as if she were reasoning with herself. 

By chance, probably because Hozier stooped to help her to her feet, hisarm rested lightly across her shoulders. 

"I will not pretend to misunderstand you, " he said. "If the Braziliansdo not mean to play the game, it would be a just punishment to let themrush on their own doom. But De Sylva may not agree with this fop of anofficer, and, in any event, we must go straight with him until he showshis teeth. "

"You seem to dislike Captain San Benavides, " she said inconsequently. 

"I regard him as a brainless ass, " he exclaimed. 

"Somehow, that sounds like a description of a dead donkey, which onenever sees. "

"Mademoiselle!" came a voice from the lip of the ravine. 

"One can hear him, though, " laughed Hozier, with a warning pressurethat suspiciously resembled a hug. These two were children, in somerespects, quicker to jest than to grieve, better fitted for mirth thantragedy. 

They moved out from their niche, and San Benavides blustered intovehement French. 

"We are going to the landing-place before it is too dark, " he mutteredangrily. "We must not show a light; in a few minutes the path will bemost dangerous. Please make haste, mademoiselle. We did not knowwhere you had gone. "

"The men knew, " suggested Hozier in the girl's ear. He dared not trusteither his temper or his vocabulary. 

"We shall lose no time, now, monsieur, " said Iris, hurrying on. 

"This way then. No, we do not pass the cave. We go right round thecliff. Permit me, mademoiselle. I am acquainted with each step. "

He took her hand. Philip followed. He was young enough to long for anopportunity to tell San Benavides that he was a puppy, a mongrel puppy. Just then he would have given a gun-metal case, filled with cigars--theonly treasure he possessed--for a Portuguese dictionary. 

After a really difficult and hazardous descent, they found the othersawaiting them in a rock-shrouded cove. The barest standing-room wasafforded by a patch of shingle and detritus. Alongside a flat stonelay three broad planks tied together with cowhide. The center plankwas turned up at one end. This was the catamaran, which de Sylva haddignified by the name of boat. The primitive craft rested in a blackpool in which the stars trembled, though they were hardly visible asyet in the brighter sky. The water murmured in response to themovement of the tide, but to the unaided eye there was no vestige of apassage through the volcanic barrier that reared itself on every hand. 

"Were 'ave you bin?" growled Coke. "We've lost a good ten minnits. You ought to 'ave known, Hozier, that it's darkest just after sunset. "

"We could not have started sooner, sir. "

"W'y not? We were kep' waitin' up there, searchin' for you. "

"That was our best slice of luck to-day. Had any of you appeared onthe ledge you would have been seen from the launch. "

"Wot launch?"

"The launch that visited us this morning. Ten minutes ago she wasstanding by at the foot of the rock. "

Philip spoke slowly and clearly. He meant his news to strike home. Ashe anticipated, De Sylva broke in. 

"You _saw_ it?" he asked, and his deep voice vibrated with dismay. 

"Yes. I even made out, by actions rather than words, that the darknessalone prevented the soldiers from coming here to-night. The skipperwould not risk it. "

De Sylva said something under his breath. He spoke rapidly to SanBenavides, and the latter seemed to be cowed, for his reply was brief. Then the ex-President reverted to English. 

"I have decided to send Marcel and Domingo ashore first, " he said. "They will select the safest place for a landing. Marcel will bringback the catamaran, and take off Mr. Hozier and the young lady. Captain Coke and I will follow, and the others in such order as SenhorBenavides thinks fit. The catamaran will only hold three with safety, but Marcel believes he can find another for Domingo. Remember, all ofyou, silence is essential. If there is an accident, some of us may becalled on to drown without a cry. We must be ready to do it for thesake of those who are left. Are we all agreed?"

A hum of voices answered him. De Sylva was, at least, a born leader. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE RIGOR OF THE GAME

In obedience to their leader's order, Marcel, the taciturn, andDomingo, from whose lips the Britons had scarce heard a syllable, squatted on the catamaran. Marcel wielded a short paddle, and analmost imperceptible dip of its broad blade sent the strangely-builtcraft across the pool. Once in the shadow, it disappeared completely. There was no visible outlet. The rocks thrust their stark ridgeagainst the sky in a seemingly impassable barrier. Some of the menstared at the jagged crests as though they half expected to see theBrazilians making a portage, just as travelers in the Canadiannorthwest haul canoes up a river obstructed by rapids. 

"Well, that gives me the go-by, " growled Coke, whose alert ear caughtno sound save the rippling of the water. "I say, mister, 'ow is itdone?" he went on. 

"It is a simple thing when you know the secret, " said De Sylva. "Haveyou passed Fernando Noronha before, Captain?"

"Many a time. "

"Have you seen the curious natural canal which you sailors call theHole in the Wall?"

"Yes, it's near the s'uth'ard end. "

"Well, the sea has worn away a layer of soft rock that existed there. In the course of centuries a channel has been cut right across the twohundred yards of land. Owing to the same cause the summer rains haveexcavated a ravine through the crater up above, and a similar passageexists here, only it happens to run parallel to the line of the cliff. It extends a good deal beyond its apparent outlet, and is defended by adangerous reef. Marcel once landed on a rock during a very calm day, and saw the opening. He investigated it, luckily for me--luckily, infact, for all of us. "

Watts interrupted De Sylva's smooth periods by a startled ejaculation, and Coke turned on him fiercely. 

"Wot's up now?" he demanded. "Ain't you sober yet?"

"Some dam thing jumped on me, " explained Watts. 

"Probably a crab, " said De Sylva. "There are jumping crabs all aroundhere. It will not hurt you. It is quite a small creature. "

"Oh, if it's on'y a crab, " muttered Watts, "sorry I gev' tongue, skipper. I thought it was a rat, an' I can't abide 'em. "

"Then you must learn to endure them while you are in Fernando doNoronha itself, " went on the Brazilian. "The island absolutely swarmswith rats; some of the larger varieties are rather dangerous. "

"Sufferin' Moses!" groaned Watts. "It'll be the death o' me. "

"Wot color are they?" asked Coke. De Sylva's reply was given in a toneof surprise. Certainly these hardy mariners had selected an unusualtopic for discussion at a critical moment. 

"The common dark gray, " he said. 

"That's all right, then, " sneered Coke. "Watts don't mind 'em gray. They're old messmates of his. It's w'en they're pink or green that hefights shy of 'em. "

"I hate rats of any sort----" began Watts hotly, spurred to anger by anaudible snigger among the men, but De Sylva stopped his protestperemptorily. It was idiotic, this bantering when the next half hourmight be their last. 

"You must learn to guard your tongue, " he said with harsh distinctness. "We cannot have our plans marred by a fool's outcry. "

Nevertheless, the chief officer of the _Andromeda_ was far from being afool. He had cut an inglorious figure during the wreck, but he wassober enough now, and it hurt his pride to be jeered at by his ownskipper and treated with contumely by one whom he privately classed asa Dago. He had the good sense to realize that the present was no fittime for a display of temper; but he nursed his wrath. Dom Corriawould have been well advised had he followed the counsel given soungraciously, and guarded his own tongue. 

It might well be that the ex-President, whose fortunes were on thetiptoe of desperate hazard, was beginning to despair. He may havescanned the meager forces at his disposal and felt that he was askingthe gods for more than they could grant. A few minutes earlier he hadput forth the suave suggestion that Hozier should be given thespeediest chance of securing the girl's safety. That was politic;perhaps his stanch nerve was yielding to the strain, now that the twoislanders were gone on their doubtful quest. Be that as it may, hisattitude did not encourage light conversation. Even Coke withheld somejibe at the unfortunate mate's expense. A chill silence fell on thelittle group. The more imaginative among them were calculating theexact kind of lurch taken by the unstable raft that would mean"drowning without a cry. "

Thus the minutes sped, until a dim shape emerged from the oppositeblackness. It came unheard, growing from nothing into something withghostly subtlety. Iris, a prey to many emotions, managed to stifle theexclamation of alarm that rose unbidden. But Hozier read her distressin a hardly audible sob. 

"It is our friend, Marcel, " he whispered. "So Domingo has made goodhis landing. Be brave! The sea is quite calm. This man has been tothe island and back in less than a quarter of an hour. "

His confidence gave her new courage. She even tried to turn dangeritself into a jest. 

"We seem to be living in spasms just now, " she said. "We certainlycrowd a good deal of excitement into a very few minutes. "

The catamaran swung round and grated on the shingle. Marcel was in ahurry. 

"Are you ready?" asked De Sylva, bending toward Iris. 

"Yes, " she said. 

"Then you had better kneel behind Marcel, and steady yourself byplacing your hands on his shoulders. Yes, that is it. Do not changeyour position until you are ashore. Now you, Mr. Hozier. "

Marcel murmured something. 

"Ah, good!" cried De Sylva softly. "Domingo, too, has secured acatamaran. He is bringing it at once in order to save time. "

A second spectral figure emerged from the gloom. Without waiting forfurther instructions, Marcel swung his paddle, and the one craft passedthe other in the center of the pool. Iris felt Hozier's hands on herwaist. He obeyed orders, and uttered no sound, but the action told herthat she might trust him implicitly. When the narrow cleft wastraversed, and she saw the open sea on her right, there was ample needfor some such assurance of guardianship. Viewed from the cliff, theswell that broke on the half-submerged reef was of slight volume, butit presented a very different and most disconcerting aspect when seenin profile. It seemed to be an almost impossible feat for any man topropel three narrow planks, top-heavy with a human freight, across awide channel through which such a sea was running. Indeed, Hozierhimself, sailor as he was, felt more than doubtful as to the fate oftheir argosy. But Marcel paddled ahead with unflagging energy once hewas clear of the tortuous passage, and, before the catamaran hadtraveled many yards, even Iris was able to understand that the outlyingridge of rocks both protected their present track and created much ofthe apparent turmoil. 

At last the raft, for it was little else, bore sharply out between twohuge bowlders that might well have fallen from the mighty pile ofGrand-père itself. Pointed and angular they were, and set like agateway to an abode of giants. Beyond, there was a shimmer ofswift-moving water, with a silver mist on the surface, though from aheight of a few feet it would have been easy to distinguish the boldcontours of Fernando Noronha itself. 

Marcel plied his paddle vigorously, and Iris thought they were headingagainst the current, since there was a constant swirl of white-tippedwaves on both sides of the curved plank, and her dress soon becamesoaked. But Hozier knew that one man could not drive a craft that hadno artificial buoyancy in the teeth of a four-knot tidal stream. Marcel was edging across the channel, and making good use of the veryforce that threatened to sweep him away. Indeed, in less than fiveminutes, a definite clearing yet darkening of the atmospheric lightshowed that land was near. The hiss of the ripple subsided, the tideceased its chant, and a dark mass sprang into uncanny distinctnessright ahead. 

The girl's first sensation on nearing the island was an unpleasant one. She was conscious of a slight but somewhat nauseating odor, quiteunlike anything within her ken previously. It suffused the air, andgrew more pronounced as the catamaran crept noiselessly into a tiny bay. 

Hozier sympathized with her distress; knowing that acquaintance with anevil often helps to minimize its effect, he bent close to her ear andwhispered the words:

"Mangrove swamp. "

Iris had read of mangroves. In a dim way, she classed them withtamarinds, and cocoa-palms, and other sub-tropical products. At anyrate, she was exceedingly anxious to tell Hozier that if mangrovestasted as they smelt she would need to be very hungry before she ateone!

Marcel was endowed with quick ears. Though Hozier's whisper couldhardly have reached him, he held up a warning hand, even while hebrought the catamaran ashore on the shingle, so gently that not apebble was disturbed. He rose, a gaunt scarecrow, stepped off, anddrew the shallow craft somewhat further up the sloping beach. Then hehelped Iris to her feet. She became conscious at once that histhumb-nail was of extraordinary length, and--so strangely constitutedis human nature--this peculiarity made a lasting impression on her mind. 

Hozier, thinking that he ought to remain near the catamaran, stoodupright, but did not offer to follow the others. Iris, filled with asudden fear, hung back. The Brazilian, aware of her resistance, soughtits cause. He saw Hozier, grinned, and beckoned to him. So the threewent in company, and at each upward stride the disagreeable stench, ever afterwards associated with Fernando Noronha in the girl'smemories, became less and less perceptible, until, after a short walkthrough a clump of banana trees, it vanished altogether. 

At that instant, when Iris was beginning to revel in the sweet incenseof a multitude of unseen flowers, Marcel halted, motioned to Hozier tostand fast, and indicated that Iris was to come with him. At once sheshrank away in terror. Though in some sense prepared for this parting, she felt it now as the crudest blow that fortune had dealt her during aday crowded with misfortunes. In all likelihood, those two would nevermeet again. She needed no telling as to the risk he would soon becalled on to face, and her anguish was made the more bitter by thenecessity that they should go from each other's presence without aspoken word. 

Nevertheless, she forced herself to extend a hand in farewell. Hereyes were blinded with tears. She knew that Hozier drew her nearer. With the daring of one who may well cast the world's convention to thewinds, he gathered her to his heart and kissed her. Then she uttered alittle sob of happiness and sorrow, and fainted. 

It was not until she was lying helpless in his embrace, with her headpillowed on his breast, and an arm thrown limply across his shoulder, that Philip understood what had happened. He loved her, and she, thepromised wife of another man, had tacitly admitted that she returnedhis love. Born for each other, heirs of all the ages, they weredestined to be separated under conditions that could not have beenbrought about by the worst tyrant that ever oppressed his fellowcreatures. Small blame should be his portion if in that abysmal momentthere came to Philip a dire temptation. There was every reason tobelieve that he and Iris, if they found some hiding-place on the islandthat night, might escape. He could send Marcel crashing into theundergrowth with a blow, carry the unconscious girl somewhere, anywhere, until the darkness shrouded them, and wait for the dawn withsome degree of confidence. In a red fury of thought he pictured herface when she regained possession of her senses and was told that theyhad no more to fear. He saw, with a species of fantastic intuition, that the island authorities would actually acclaim them for the tidingsthey brought. And then, he would find those grave brown eyes of hersfixed on his in agonized inquiry. What of the others? Why had hebetrayed his trust? Dom Corria de Sylva had sent him ashore in advanceof any among the little band of fugitives. Marcel and Domingo wereoutside the pale. Their lives, at least, were surely forfeit whenrecaptured. It was not a prayer but a curse that Hozier muttered whenMarcel whispered words he did not understand, but whose obvious meaningwas that now the girl must be carried to the convict's hut, since theywere losing time, and time was all-important. 

So they strode on, across ground that continued to rise in gentleundulations. Even in his present frenzied mood, Hozier noticed thatthey were following the right bank of a rivulet, the catamaran beingbeached on the same side of its cove-like estuary. Progress was ratherdifficult. They were skirting a wood, and the trailers of a greatscarlet-flowered bean and a climbing cucumber smothered the ground, canopied the trees, and swarmed over the rocks. He could notdistinguish these hindrances in the darkness, but he soon found that hemust walk warily. As for the effort entailed by his forlorn burden hedid not give a thought to it until Marcel indicated that he must standfast. The Brazilian went on, leaving Hozier breathless. Evidently hewent to warn the inhabitants of a wretched hut, suddenly visible in themidst of a patch of maize and cassava, that there were those at handwho needed shelter. 

A dog barked--Marcel whistled softly, and the animal began to whimper. The Brazilian vanished. Hozier still held Iris in his arms; his heartwas beating tumultuously; his throat ached with the labor of his lungs. His straining ears caught rustlings among the grass and roots, butotherwise a solemn peace brooded over the scene. Just beyond the hut, which was shielded from the arid hill by a grove of curiously contortedtrees, the inner heights of the island rose abruptly. Something thatresembled a column of cloud showed behind the rugged sky-line of theland. Even while he waited there, he saw a glint of light on itseastern side. He fancied that under stress of emotion and physicalweakness his eyes were deceiving him; but the line of golden fire grewbrighter and more definite. It was broken but unwavering, and blackshadows began to take form as part of this phenomenon. Then heremembered the giant peak of Fernando Noronha, that mis-shapen masswhich thrusts its amazing beacon a thousand feet into the air. Therising moon was gilding El Pico long ere its rays would illumine thelower land--that was all--yet he hailed the sight as a token ofdeliverance. It was not by idle chance that that which he had takenfor a cloud should be transmuted into a torch; there sprang into hisheated brain a new trust. He recalled the unceasing vigilance of OneAll-Powerful, who, ages ago, when His people were afflicted, "wentbefore them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and bynight in a pillar of fire, to give them light. "

Then Marcel came, and aroused him from the stupor that had settled onhim, and together they entered into the hovel, where a dark-skinnedwoman and a comely girl uttered words of sympathetic sound when Iriswas laid on a low trestle, and Hozier took a farewell kiss from herunheeding lips. 

The Englishman stumbled away with his guide; he fancied that Marcelwarned him several times to be more circumspect. He did his best, but, for the time, he was utterly spent. At last the Brazilian signifiedthat they were near a trysting place. He uttered a cry like anight-jar's, and the answer came from no great distance. Soon theyencountered Coke and De Sylva, who were awaiting them anxiously, andwondering, no doubt, why Hozier was missing, since Domingo and Marcelhad fixed on an aged fig-tree as a rendezvous, and Hozier was not to befound anywhere near it. 

The two boatmen hurried away, and De Sylva placed his lips close toPhilip's ear. 

"What went wrong?" he asked. 

"Iris--Miss Yorke--fainted, " was the gasping reply. 

"Ah. You had to carry her?"

"Yes. "

De Sylva fumbled in a pocket. He produced a flask. 

"Here is some brandy. I kept it for just such an extremity. We cannothave you breaking down. Drink!"

Two weary hours elapsed before the little army of the Grand-père Rockwas reunited on the shore of Cotton-Tree Bay. Then there was a furtherdelay, while their indefatigable scouts brought milk and water, somecoarse bread, and a good supply of fruit from the hut. It was part oftheir scheme that they should give their friend's habitation a wideberth. If their plans miscarried he was instructed to say that he hadfound the English lady wandering on the shore soon after daybreak. Inany event, there would be no evidence that he had entertained theinvaders in his hovel; otherwise, he would lose the first-class badgethat permitted him, a convict, to dwell apart with his wife anddaughter. 

It was with the utmost difficulty that the men could be restrained fromexpressing their delight when they were given water and milk to drink. The water was poor, brackish stuff; the milk was sour and had lostevery particle of cream; yet they deemed each a nectar of rank, andeven the miserable Watts, who had long ago ascertained that therustlings in the herbage were caused by countless numbers of rats andmice, was ready to acclaim beverages which he was too apt to despise. 

About midnight there was a bright moon sailing overhead, and De Sylvagave a low order that they were to form in Indian file. Marcel led, the ex-President himself followed, with San Benavides, Coke, and Hozierin close proximity. Domingo brought up the rear, in order to preventstraggling, and assist men who might stray from the path. 

Avoiding the cultivated land surrounding the creek, the party struck upthe hillside. A few plodding minutes sufficed to clear the trees anddense undergrowth. A rough, narrow path led to the saddle of thecentral ridge. They advanced warily but without any real difficulty. Hozier took a listless interest in watching the furtive glances castover his shoulder by San Benavides so long as the south coast of theisland was visible. At each turn in the mountain track the Brazilianofficer searched the moonlit sea for the agreed signal. At last, whenthe northern side also came in sight, and the whole island lay spreadbefore them, San Benavides resigned himself to the inevitable. For alittle while, at least, he was perforce content to survey eventsthrough the eyes of his companions, and throw in his lot irrevocablywith theirs. 

Roughly speaking, Fernando Noronha itself, irrespective of the group ofislands at its northeasterly extremity, stretches five miles from eastto west, and averages a mile and a half in width. From Cotton-TreeBay, to which the catamarans had brought the small force, it was barelya mile to the village, convict settlement, and citadel. Some fewlights twinkling near the shore showed the exact whereabouts of theinhabited section. Another mile away to the right lay Fort SanAntonio, which housed the main body of troops. Watch-fires burning onSouth Point, whence came the shells that disabled the _Andromeda_, revealed the presence of soldiers in that neighborhood. De Sylvaexplained that a paved road ran straight from the town andlanding-place to the hamlet of Sueste and an important plantation ofcocoanuts and other fruit-bearing trees that adjoined South Point. Itwas inadvisable to strike into that road immediately. A little more tothe right there was a track leading to the Curral, or stockyard. Ifthey headed for the latter place the men could obtain some stoutcudgels. The convict peons in charge of the cattle should beoverpowered and bound, thus preventing them from giving an alarm, andit was also possible to avoid the inhabited hillside overlooking themain anchorage until they were close to the citadel. Then, crossingthe fort road, they would advance boldly to the enemy's stronghold, first making sure that the launch was moored in her accustomed stationin the roadstead beneath the walls. San Benavides would answer thesentry's questions, there would be a combined rush for the guard-roomon the right of the gate, and, if they were able to master the guard, as many of the assailants as possible would don the soldiers' coats, shakos, and accouterments. Granted success thus far, there should notbe much difficulty in persuading the men in charge of the launch that acruise round the island was to be undertaken forthwith. Marcel wouldremain with them until the citadel was carried. He would then hurryback to bring Iris across the island to an unfrequented beach known asthe Porto do Conceiçao, where he would embark her on a catamaran androw out to the steamer, which, by that time, would be lying off theharbor out of range of the troops who would surely be summoned from thedistant fort. 

The project bristled with audacity, and that has ever been the soul ofachievement. Even the two wounded men from the _Andromeda_ took heartwhen they listened to De Sylva's low-toned explanation, given under theshadow of a great rock ere the final advance was made. If all wentwell at the beginning, the small garrison of the citadel would beastounded when they found themselves struggling against unknownadversaries. Haste, silence, determination--these things wereessential; each and all might be expected from men who literallycarried their lives in their hands. 

A keen breeze was blowing up there on the ridge. A bank of cloud wasrising in the southwest horizon, and, at that season, when the monthsof rain were normally at an end, the mere presence of clouds heraldedanother spell of broken weather, though the preceding gale had probablymarked the worst of it. Indeed, valuable auxiliary as the moon hadproved during the march across rough country, it would be no ill hap ifher bright face were veiled later. The mere prospect of such anoccurrence was a cheering augury, and it was in the highest spiritsthat the little band set out resolutely for the Curral. 

Here they encountered no difficulty whatever. Perhaps the prevalentexcitement had drawn its custodians to the town, since they found noone in charge save a couple of barking dogs, while, if there werepeople in the cattle-keepers' huts, they gave no sign of theirpresence. A few stakes were pulled up; they even came upon a couple ofaxes and a heavy hammer. Equipped with these weapons, eked out bythree revolvers owned by the Brazilians and the dapper captain's sword, they hurried on, quitting the road instantly, and following a cow-paththat wound about the base of a steep hill. 

They met their first surprise when they tried to cross the road to thefort. Quite unexpectedly, they blundered into a small picket stationedthere. Its object was to challenge all passers-by during the darkhours, and it formed part of the scheme already elaborated by theauthorities for a complete search of every foot of ground. ButBrazilian soldiers are apt to be lax in such matters. These men wereall lying down, and smoking. For a marvel, they happened to be silentwhen Marcel led his cohort into the open road. They were listening, infact, to the crackling of the undergrowth, though utterly unsuspiciousof its cause, and the first intimation of danger was given by thestartling challenge:

"Who goes there?"

It was familiar enough to island ears, and the convict answered readily:

"A friend!"

"Several friends, it would seem, " laughed a voice. "Let us see whothese friends are. "

Luckily, in response to De Sylva's sibilant order, most of the_Andromeda's_ crew were hidden by the scrub from which they were aboutto emerge. 

The soldiers rose, and strolled nearer leisurely. 

"Now!" shouted De Sylva, leaping forward. 

There was a wild scurry, two or three shots were fired, and Hozierfound himself on the ground gripping the throat of a bronzed man whomhe had shoved backward with a thrust, for he had no time to swing hisstake for a blow. He was aware of a pair of black eyes that glared upat him horribly in the moonlight, of white teeth that shone under longmoustachios of peculiarly warlike aspect, but he felt the man was asputty in his hands, and his fingers relaxed their pressure. 

He looked around. The fight was ended almost as soon as it began. Thesoldiers, six in all, were on their backs in the roadway. Two of themwere dead. The Italian sailor had been shot through the body, and wastwisting in his last agony. 

The bloodshed was bad enough, but those shots were worse. They wouldset the island in an uproar. The reports would be heard in town, citadel, and fort, and the troops would now be on the _qui vive_. ButDe Sylva was a man of resource. 

"Strip the prisoners!" he cried. "Take their arms and ammunition, butbind them back to back with their belts. "

"Butt in there, me lads, " vociferated Coke, who had accounted for oneof the Brazilians with an ax. "Step lively! Now we've got someuniforms an' guns, we can rush that dam cittydel easy. "

Hozier was busy relieving his man of his coat. When the prone warriorrealized that he was not to be killed, he helped the operation, butPhilip was thinking more of Iris than of deeds of derring-do. 

"Why attempt to capture the citadel at all?" he asked. "Now that wecan make sufficient display, is there any reason that we should not gostraight for the launch?"

"Hi, mister, d'ye 'ear that?" said Coke to De Sylva. "There's horsesense in it. The whole bally place will be buzzin' like a nest ofwasps till they find out wot the shots meant. "

"I think it is a good suggestion, " came the calm answer, "provided, that is, the launch is in the harbor. "

"She's just as likely to be there now as later. If she isn't, we musthark back to the first plan. Now, you swabs, all aboard! See to thembuckles afore you quit. "

A bell began to toll in the convict settlement. Lights appeared inmany houses scattered over the seaward slope. In truth, FernandoNoronha had not been so badly scared since its garrison mutinied threeyears earlier because arrears of pay were not forthcoming. It wasimpossible to determine as yet whether or not the island steamer was ather berth, so they could only push on boldly and trust to luck. Hozier, never for an instant forgetting Iris, saw that Marcel stillremained with his leader. Under these new circumstances, it certainlywould be a piece of folly to send back until they were sure of thelaunch. So he hurried after them, struggling the while into a coat fartoo small, though fortunate in the fact that his captive's head was bigin proportion to the rest of his body. 

Some few men were met, running from the town to the main road wherethey had located the shooting. Each breathlessly demanded news, andwas forthwith given most disconcerting information by a savage blow. The _Andromeda_ had received no quarter, and her crew retaliated now. They did not deliberately murder anyone, but they took good care thatnone of those whom they encountered would be in a condition to workmischief until the night was ended. 

It was a peculiar and exasperating fact that although they weredescending a steep incline to the harbor the presence of trees andhouses rendered it impossible to see the actual landing-place. Hence, there was no course open but to race on at the utmost speed, though DeSylva was careful to keep his small force compact, and its pace wasnecessarily that of its slowest members. Among these was Coke, who hadnever walked so far since he was granted a captain's certificate. Heswore copiously as he lumbered along, and, what between shortness ofbreath and his tight boots and clothing, the latter disability beingadded to by a ridiculously inadequate Brazilian tunic, he was barelyable to reach the water's edge. 

Happily, the launch was there, moored alongside a small quay. From thenearest building it was necessary to cross a low wharf some fifty yardsin width, and De Sylva's whispered commands could not restrain theeager men when escape appeared no longer problematical but assured. They broke, and ran, an almost fatal thing, as it happened, since thesoldiers whom Philip had seen from the rock were still on board. Oneof them noticed the inexplicable disorder among a body of men some ofwhom resembled his own comrades. He had heard the firing, and wasdiscussing it with others when this strange thing happened. 

He challenged. San Benavides answered, but his voice was shrill andunofficer-like. 

The engines were started. A man leaped to the wharf. He was in theact of casting a mooring rope off a fixed capstan when De Sylva shothim between the shoulder-blades. 

"On board, all of you!" shrieked the ex-President in a frenzy. 

"At 'em, boys!" gasped Coke, though scarce able to stagger another foot. 

The men needed no bidding. Sheets of flame leaped from the vessel'sdeck as the soldiers seized their rifles and fired point-blank at thesemysterious assailants who spoke in a foreign language. But flame alonecould not stop that desperate attack. Some fell, but the survivorssprang at the Brazilians like famished wolves on their prey. There wasno more shooting. Men grappled and fell, some into the water, otherson deck, or they sprawled over the hatch and wrought in franticstruggle in the narrow cabin. The fight did not last many seconds. Anengineer, finding a lever and throttle valve, roared to a sailor totake the wheel, and already the launch was curving seaward when Hoziershouted:

"Where is Marcel?"

"Lyin' dead on the wharf, " said Watts. 

"Are you certain?"

"He was alongside me, an' 'e threw is 'ands up, an' dropped like a shotrabbit. "

"Then who has gone for Miss Yorke?"

"No one. D'ye think that this d--d President cares for anybody buthisself?"

Philip felt the deck throbbing with the pulsations of the screw. Thelights on shore were gliding by. The launch was leaving FernandoNoronha, and Iris was waiting in that wretched hut beyond the hill, waiting for the summons that would not reach her, for Marcel was dead, and Domingo, the one other man who could have gone to her, was lying inthe cabin with three ribs broken and a collar-bone fractured. 

CHAPTER IX

WHEREIN CERTAIN PEOPLE MEET UNEXPECTEDLY

Iris came back from the void to find herself lying on a truckle bed ina dimly-lighted hovel. A cotton wick flickered in a small lamp of theold Roman type. It was consuming a crude variety of castor oil, andits gamboge-colored flame clothed the smoke-darkened rafters and mudwalls in somber yet vivid tints that would have gladdened the heart ofa Rubens. This scenic effect, admirable to an artist, was lost on agirl waking in affright and startled by unfamiliar surroundings. Shegazed up with uncomprehending eyes at two brown-skinned women bendingover her. 

One, the elder, was chafing her hands; the other, a tall, gracefulgirl, was stirring something in an earthenware vessel. She heard thegirl murmur joyfully:

"Graças a Deus, elh' abria lhes olhas!"

Iris was still wandering in that strange borderland guarded by unknownforces that lies between conscious life and the sleep that is so closeof kin to death. If in full possession of her senses, she might nothave caught the drift of the sentence, since it was spoken in aguttural patois. But now she understood beyond cavil that because shehad opened her eyes, the girl was giving thanks to the Deity. Thefirst definite though bewildering notion that perplexed her faculties, at once clouded and unnaturally clear, was an astonished acceptance ofthe fact that she knew what the strange girl had said, though thephrase only remotely resembled its Spanish equivalent. She gatheredits exact meaning, word for word, and it was all the more surprisingthat both women should smile and say something quite incomprehensibleas soon as Iris lifted herself on an elbow and asked in English:

"Where am I? How did I come here?"

[Illustration: "How did I come here?"]

Then she remembered, and memory brought a feeling of helplessness notwholly devoid of self-reproach. It was bad enough that her presenceshould add so greatly to the dangers besetting her friends; it was farworse that she should have fainted at the very moment when suchweakness might well prove fatal to them. 

Why did she faint? Ah! A lively blush chased the pallor from hercheeks, and a few strenuous heartbeats restored animation to her limbs. Of course, in thinking that she had yielded solely to the stress ofsurcharged emotions, Iris was mistaken. What she really needed wasfood. A young woman of perfect physique, and dowered with the best ofhealth, does not collapse into unconsciousness because a young manembraces her, and each at the same moment makes the blissful discoverythat the wide world contains no other individual of supreme importance. Iris's great-grandmother might have "swooned" under suchcircumstances--not so Iris, who fainted simply because of the strainimposed by failure to eat the queer fare provided by De Sylva and hisassociates. She hardly realized how hungry she was until the girlhanded her the bowl, which contained a couple of eggs beaten up inmilk, while small quantities of rum and sugar-cane juice made thecompound palatable. 

"Bom!" said the girl, "bebida, senhora!"

It certainly was good, and the senhora drank it with avidity, themixture being excellent diet for one who had eaten nothing except anover-ripe banana during thirty hours. Indeed, it would be noexaggeration to extend that period considerably. Iris had leftpractically untouched the meals brought her by the steward during thegale, and the early morning cup of coffee, which would have proved mostgrateful after a storm-tossed night, was an impossible achievementowing to the lack of water. 

So Iris tackled the contents of the bowl with a vigorous appetite oddlyat variance with the seeming weakness that ended in a prolongedfainting fit, and the hospitable Brazilians, to whom this fair Englishgirl was a revelation in feature and clothing, bestirred themselves toprovide further dainties. But, excepting some fruit, Iris had thewisdom to refuse other food just then. Her thoughts were rapidlybecoming coherent, and she realized that a heavy meal might beabsolutely disastrous. If the men made good their project she would becalled on within an hour to cross the island. It seemed reasonablethat, hungry though she was, she would be better fitted to climb theisland hills at a fast pace if she ate sparingly. Still, she longedfor a drink of water, and taxed her small stock of Spanish to makeknown her desire. 

"Agua, senhora, " she said with a smile, and the delight of mother anddaughter was great, since they thought she could speak their language. 

Therein, of course, they were disappointed, but not more so than Iriswhen she tasted the brackish fluid alone procurable on the south coastof Fernando Noronha. That was a fortunate thing in itself. Only thosewho have endured real thirst can tell how hard it is to refrain fromdrinking deeply when water is ultimately obtained; but the mixture ofmilk and eggs had already soothed her parched mouth and palate, and shequickly detected an unpleasantly salt flavor in the beverage they gaveher. 

Then she set herself to discover her whereabouts. The women were eagerto impart information, but, alas, Iris's brain had regained itsevery-day limitations, and she could make no sense of their words. Atlast, seeing that the door was barred and the hut was innocent of anyother opening, she stood upright, and signified by a gesture that shewished to go out. There could be no mistaking the distress, even thepositive alarm, created by this demand. The girl clasped her hands inentreaty, and the older woman evidently tried most earnestly todissuade her visitor from a proceeding fraught with utmost danger. 

Being quite certain that they meant to be friendly, Iris sat downagain. She knew, of course, that Marcel would come for her, ifpossible, and the relief displayed by her unknown entertainers was somarked that she resolved to await his appearance quietly. She wouldnot abandon hope till daylight crept through the chinks of the hut. How soon that might be she could not tell. It seemed but a few secondssince she felt Hozier's arms around her, since her lips met his in apassionate kiss. But, meanwhile, someone had brought her here. Herdress, though damp, was not sopping wet. Even the slight token of thebeaten eggs showed how time must have sped while she was lying thereoblivious of everything. She tried again to question the women, andfancied that they understood her partly, as she caught the words "meianoite, " but it was beyond her powers to ascertain whether they meantthat she had come there at midnight, or were actually telling her thehour. 

At any rate, they were most anxious for her well-being. The islandhousewife produced another dish, smiled reassuringly, and said, "Manioc--bom, " repeating the phrase several times. The compound lookedappetizing, and Iris ate a little. She discovered at once that it wastapioca, but her new acquaintance suggested "cassava" as analternative. The girl, however, nodded cheerfully. She had heard thegentry at Fort San Antonio call it tapioca, and her convict fathercultivated some of the finer variety of manioc for the officers' mess. 

"Ah, " sighed Iris, smiling wistfully, "I am making progress in yourlanguage, slow but sure. But please don't give me any mangroves. "

The girl apparently was quite fascinated by the sound of English. Shebegan to chatter to her mother at an amazing rate, trying repeatedly toimitate the hissing sound which the Latin races always perceive inAnglo-Saxon speech. Her mother reproved her instantly. To makeamends, the girl offered Iris a fine pomegranate. Iris, of course, lost nothing of this bit of by-play. It was almost the first touch ofnature that she had discovered among the amazing inhabitants ofFernando Noronha. 

These small amenities helped to pass the time, but Iris soon noted anair of suspense in the older woman's attitude. Though mindful of herguest's comfort, Luisa Gomez had ever a keen ear for external sounds. In all probability, she was disturbed by the distant reports offire-arms, and it was a rare instance of innate good-breeding that shedid not alarm her guest by calling attention to them. Iris, amid suchnovel surroundings, could not distinguish one noise from another. Night-birds screamed hideously in the trees without; a host of cricketskept up an incessant chorus in the undergrowth; the intermittentroaring of breakers on the rocks invaded the narrow creek. The medleypuzzled Iris, but the island woman well knew that stirring events werebeing enacted on the other side of the hill. Her husband was there--hehad, indeed, prepared a careful alibi since Marcel visited him--andwives are apt to feel worried if husbands are abroad when bullets areflying. 

So, while the girl, Manoela, was furtively appraising the clothing wornby Iris, and wondering how it came to pass that in some parts of theworld there existed grand ladies who wore real cloth dresses, and laceembroidered under-skirts, and silk stockings, and shining leatherboots--wore them, too, with as much careless ease as one draped one'sself in coarse hempen skirt and shawl in Fernando Noronha--her motherwas listening ever for hasty footsteps among the trailing vines. 

At last, with a muttered prayer, she went to the door, and unfastenedthe stout wooden staple that prevented intruders from entering unbidden. 

It was dark without. Dense black clouds veiled the moon, and a gust ofwind moaned up the creek in presage of a tropical storm. Someoneapproached. 

"Is that you, Manoel?" asked Luisa Gomez in a hushed voice. 

There was no answer. The woman drew back. She would have closed thedoor, but a slim, active figure sprang across the threshold. Sheshrieked in terror. The new-comer was a Brazilian officer, one ofthose glittering beings whom she had seen lounging outside thePrindio[1] during her rare visits to the town. She was hoping to greether Manoel, she half expected to find Marcel, but to be faced by anofficer was the last thing she had thought of. In abject fear, shebroke into a wild appeal to the Virgin; the officer merely laughed, though not loudly. 

"Be not afraid, senhora--I am a friend, " he said with quiet confidence, and the fact that he addressed her so courteously was a wondrouslysoothing thing in itself. But he raised a fresh wave of dread in hersoul when he peered into the cabin and spoke words she did notunderstand. 

"I think you are here, mademoiselle, " he said in French. "I am come toshare your retreat for a little while. Perchance by daybreak I mayarrive at some plan. At present, you and I are in difficulties, is itnot?"

Iris recognized the voluble, jerky speech. A wild foreboding grippedher heart until she was like to shudder under its fierce anguish. 

"You, Captain San Benavides?" she asked, and her utterance wasunnaturally calm. 

"I, mademoiselle, " he said, "and, alas! I am alone. May I come in?It is not well to show a light at this hour, seeing that the island isoverrun with infuriated soldiers. "

The concluding sentence was addressed to Luisa Gomez in Portuguese. Realizing instinctively that the man came as a friend, she stood aside, trembling, on the verge of tears. He entered, and the door was closedbehind him. The yellow gleam of the lamp fell on his smart uniform, and gilded the steel scabbard of his sword. In that dim interior thesigns of his three days' sojourn on Grand-père were not in evidence, and he had not been harmed during the struggle on the main road or inthe rush for the launch. 

He doffed his rakish-looking kepi and bowed low before Iris. Perhapsthe white misery in her face touched him more deeply than he hadcounted on. Be that as it may, a note of genuine sympathy vibrated inhis voice as he said:

"I am the only man who escaped, mademoiselle. The others? Well, it iswar, and war is a lottery. "

"Do you mean that they have been killed, all killed?" she murmured witha pitiful sob. 

"I--I think so. "

"You . . . Think? Do you not know?"

He sighed. His hand sought an empty cigarette case. Such was thecorrect military air, he fancied--to treat misfortunes rather as jests. He frowned because the case was empty, but smiled at Iris. 

"It is so hard, mademoiselle, when one speaks these things in a strangetongue. Permit me to explain that which has arrived. We encountered apicket, and surprised it. Having secured some weapons andaccouterments, we hastened to the quay, where was moored the littlesteamship. Unhappily, she was crowded with soldiers. They fired, andthere was a short fight. I was knocked down, and, what do you callit?--_étourdi_--while one might count ten. I rose, half blinded, andwhat do I see? The vessel leaving the quay--full of men engaged incombat, while, just beyond the point, a warship is signaling herarrival. It was a Brazilian warship, mademoiselle. She showed two redrockets followed by a white one. It was only a matter of minutesbefore she met the little steamship. I tell you that it was bad luck, that--a vile blow. I was angry, yes. I stamp my foot and say foolishthings. Then I run!"

Iris made no reply. She hid her face in her hands. She could frame nomore questions. San Benavides was trying to tell her that Hozier andthe rest had been overwhelmed by fate at the very instant escape seemedto be within reach. The Brazilian, probably because of difficultiesthat beset him in using a foreign language, did not make it clear thathe had flung himself flat in the dust when he heard the order to firegiven by someone on board the launch. He said nothing of a tragicincident wherein Marcel, shot through the lungs, fell over him, and he, San Benavides, mistaking the convict for an assailant, wrestledfuriously with a dying man. He even forgot to state that had hecharged home with the others, he would either have met a bullet orgained the deck of the launch, and that his failure to reach the vesselwas due to his own careful self-respect. For San Benavides was not acoward. He could be brave spectacularly, but he had no stomach for afight in the dark, when stark hazard chooses some to triumph and someto die. That sort of devilish courage might be well enough for thosecrude sailors; a Portuguese gentleman of high lineage and proved mettledemanded a worthier field for his deeds of derring-do. Saperlotte! Ifone had a cigarette one could talk more fluently!

"Believe me, mademoiselle, " he went on, speaking with a proud humilitythat was creditable to his powers as an actor, "the tears came to myeyes when I understood what had happened. For myself, what do I care?I would gladly have given my life to save my brave companions. But Ithought of you, solitary, waiting here in distress, so I hurried intothe village, and my uniform secured me from interruption until I wasable to leave the road and cross the hills. "

Then the lightning of a woman's intuition pierced the abyss of despair. Surely there were curious blanks in this thrilling narrative. As washer way when thoroughly aroused, Iris stood up and seized San Benavidesalmost roughly by the arm. Her distraught eyes searched his face witha pathetic earnestness. 

"Why do you think that the launch did not get away?" she cried. "Itwas dark. The moon might have been in shadow. If the launch met thewarship and was seen, there must have been firing----"

"Chère mademoiselle, there was much firing, " he protested. 

"At sea?"

The words came dully. She was stricken again, even more shrewdly. Thegloom was closing in on her, yet she forced herself to drag the truthfrom his unwilling lips. 

"Yes. Of course, I could not wait there in that open place. I wascompelled to seek shelter. Troops were running from town and citadel. I avoided them by a miracle. And my sole concern then was your safety. "

"Oh, my safety!" she wailed brokenly. "How does it avail me that myfriends should be slain? Why was I not with them? I would rather havedied as they died than live in the knowledge that I was the cause oftheir death. "

San Benavides essayed a confidential hand on her shoulder. She shrankfrom him; he was not pleased but he purred amiably:

"Mademoiselle is profoundly unhappy. Under such circumstances one saysthings that are unmerited, is it not? If anyone is to blame, it is mywretched country, which cannot settle its political affairs withoutbloodshed. Ah, mademoiselle, I weep with you, and tender you my mostrespectful homage. "

A deluge of tropical rain beat on the hut with a sudden fury. Conversation at once became difficult, nearly impossible. Iris threwherself back on the trestle in a passion of grief that rivaled theouter tempest. San Benavides, by sheer force of habit, dusted hisclothes before sitting on the chair brought by Luisa Gomez. Thewoman's frightened gaze had dwelt on Iris and him alternately whilethey spoke. She understood no word that was said, but she gatheredthat the news brought by this handsome officer was tragic, woeful, something that would wring the heartstrings. 

"Was there fighting, senhor?" she asked, close to his ear, her voicepitched in a key that conquered the storm. 

He nodded. He was very tired, this dandy; now that Iris gave nofurther heed to him, he was troubled by the prospects of the coming day. 

"Were they soldiers who fought?"

He nodded again. 

"No islanders?"

Then he raised a hand in protest, though he laughed softly. 

"Your good man is safe, senhora, " he said. "Marcel told him to go toSueste and tend his cattle. When he comes home it will be his duty toinform the Governor that we are here. He will be rewarded, notpunished. _Sangue de Deus_! I may be shot at dawn. I pray you, letme rest a while. "

The girl, Manoela, weeping out of sympathy, crept to Iris's side andgently stroked her hair. Like her mother, she could only guess thatthe English lady's friends were captured, perhaps dead. Even herlimited experience of life's vicissitudes had taught her what shortshrift was given to those who defied authority. The Republic of Brazildoes not permit its criminals to be executed, but it shows no mercy torebels. Manoela, of course, believed that the Englishmen were helpingthe imprisoned Dom Corria to regain power. She remembered how a mutinywas once crushed on the island, and her eyes streamed. 

Meanwhile, Luisa Gomez was touched by the good-looking soldier'splight. Never, since she came to Fernando Noronha to rejoin herconvict husband, had she been addressed so politely by any member ofthe military caste. The manners of the officers of the detachment atFort San Antonio were not to be compared with those of Captain SanBenavides. Her heart went out to him. 

"We must try to help you, Senhor Capitano, " she said. "If the othersare dead or taken, you may not be missed. "

He threw out his hands in an eloquent gesture. Life or death was amatter of complete indifference to him, it implied. 

"We shall know in the morning, " he said. "Have you any cigarettes? Amilrei[2] for a cigarette!"

"But listen, senhor. Why not take off your uniform and dress in myclothes? You can cut off your mustaches, and wear a mantilha over yourface, and we will keep you here until there is a chance of reaching aship. Certainly that is better than being shot. "

He glanced at Iris. Vanity being his first consideration, it isprobable that he would have refused to be made ridiculous in her eyes, had not a knock on the door galvanized him into a fever of fright. Hesprang up and glared wildly around for some means of eluding thethreatened scrutiny of a search party. Luisa Gomez flung him a roughskirt and a shawl. He huddled into a corner near the bed, --in suchwise that the figures of Iris and Manoela would cloak the rays of thelamp, --placed his drawn sword across his knees, and draped the twogarments over his head and limbs. 

Then, greatly agitated, but not daring to refuse admittance to thedreaded soldiery, the woman unbarred the door. A man staggered in. Hewas alone, and a swirl of wind and rain caused the lamp to flicker somadly that no one could distinguish his features until the door wasclosed again. 

But Iris knew him. Though her eyes were dim with tears, though thenew-comer carried a broken gun in his hands, and his face wasblood-stained, she knew. 

With a shriek that dismayed the other women--who could not guess thatjoy is more boisterous than sorrow, she leaped up and threw her armsaround him. 

"Oh, Philip, Philip!" she sobbed. "He told me you were dead . . . AndI believed him!"

The manner of her greeting was delightful to one who had faced deathfor her sake many times during the past hour, yet Hozier was sosurprised by its warmth that he could find never a word at the moment. But he had the good sense to throw aside the shattered rifle and returnher embrace with interest. Long ago exhausted in body, his mind reelednow under the bewildering knowledge that this most gracious woman didtruly love him. When they parted in that same squalid hut at midnight, he took with him the intoxication of her kiss. Yet he scarce broughthimself to believe that the night's happenings were real, or that theytwo would ever meet again on earth. And now, here was Iris quiveringagainst his breast. He could feel the beating of her heart. Theperfume of her hair was as incense in his nostrils. She was clingingto him as if they had loved through all eternity. No wonder he couldnot speak. Had he uttered a syllable, he must have broken down likethe girl herself. 

San Benavides supplied a timely tonic. 

Throwing aside the rags which covered him, he tried to rise. Philipcaught a glimpse of the uniform, the sheen of the naked sword. He wasabout to tear himself from Iris's clasp and spring at this new enemywhen the Brazilian spoke. 

"Mil diabos!" he cried in a rage, "this cursed Inglez still lives, andhere am I posing before him like an old hag. "

His voice alone saved him from being pinned to the floor by a man whohad adopted no light measures with others of his countrymen during thepast half-hour, as the dented gun-barrel, minus its stock, well showed. But the captain's mortified fury helped to restore Philip's sanity. Lifting Iris's glowing face to his own, he whispered:

"Tell me, sweetheart, how comes it that our Brazilian friend is here?"

"He ran away when some shots were fired, " which was rather unfair ofIris. "He said the launch had been sunk by a man-of-war----"

"But he is wrong. I saw no man-of-war. We captured the launch. Bythis time she is well out to sea. Unfortunately, Marcel was killed, and Domingo badly wounded. There was no one to come for you, so Ijumped overboard and swam ashore. I had to fight my way here, and itwill soon be known that there are some of us left on the island. Ithought that perhaps I might take you back to the Grand-père cavern. These people may give us food. I have some few sovereigns in mypocket. . . . "

"Oh, yes, yes!" She was excited now and radiantly happy. "Of course, Captain San Benavides must accompany us. He says the soldiers willshoot him if they capture him. I, too, have money. Let me ask him toexplain matters to this dear woman and her daughter. They have beenmore than kind to me already. "

She turned to the sulky San Benavides and told him what Hozier hadsuggested. He brightened at that, and began a voluble speech to LuisaGomez. Interrupting himself, he inquired, in French, how Hozierproposed to reach the rock. 

"On a catamaran. There are two on the beach, and I can handle one ofthem all right, " said Philip. "But what is this yarn of a warship?When last I sighted the launch she was standing out of the harbor, andthe first clouds of the storm helped to screen her from the citadel. "

Iris interpreted. San Benavides repeated his story of the rockets. Inher present tumult, the girl forgot the touch of realism with regard tothe firing that he had heard. Certainly there was a good deal ofpromiscuous rifle-shooting after the departure of the launch, butwarships use cannon to enforce their demands, and the boom of a big gunhad not woke the echoes of Fernando Noronha that night. Philip deemedthe present no time for argument; he despised San Benavides, and gaveno credence to him. Just now the Brazilian was an evil that must beendured. 

Luisa Gomez promised to help in every possible way. Her eyes sparkledat the sight of gold, but the poor woman would have assisted them outof sheer pity. Nevertheless, the gift of a couple of sovereigns, backed by the promise of many more if her husband devoted himself totheir service, spurred her to a frenzy of activity. 

There was not a moment to be lost. The squall had spent itself, and apeep through the chinks of the door showed that the moon would quicklybe in evidence again. It was essential that they should cross thechannel while the scattering clouds still dimmed her brightness; soManoela and her mother collected such store of food, and milk, andwater, as they could lay hands on. Well laden, all five hastened tothe creek, and Hozier, Iris, and San Benavides, boarded the larger ofthe two catamarans. The strong wind had partly dissipated the noisomeodor, but it was still perceptible. Iris was sure she would never likemangroves. 

Having a degree of confidence in the queer craft that was lackingduring their earlier voyage, they did not hesitate to stack jars andbaskets against the curved prow in such a manner that the eatableswould not become soaked with salt water. Then, after a hasty farewell, during which Iris showed her gratitude to those kindly peasants by ahug and a kiss, Hozier pushed off and tried to guide the catamaran asMarcel had done. 

Oddly enough, he and Iris now saw the majestic outlines of theGrand-père for the first time. The great rock rose above the waterlike some immense Gothic cathedral. The illusion was heightened by agiant spire that towered grandly from the center of the islet. Itlooked a shrine built by nature in honor of its Creator, a true templeof the infinite, and the semblance was no illusion to these threecastaways, since they regarded it as a sanctuary to which alone, underHeaven, they might owe their lives. Hozier, of course, realized thatthere was a certain element of risk in returning there. The islandauthorities would surely endeavor to find out where the party ofdesperadoes had lain _perdu_ between the sinking of the ship and theattack on the picket. But the ill-starred Marcel had been confidentthat none could land on the rock who was not acquainted with theintricacies of the approach, and Philip was content to trust to thereef-guarded passage rather than seek shelter on the mainland. 

Once embarked in the fairway, the management of the catamaran occupiedhis mind to the complete exclusion of all other problems. He waspuzzled by the discovery that the awkward craft was traveling too farto the westward, until he remembered that the tide had turned, and thatthe current was either slack or running in the opposite direction. Changing the paddle to the starboard side, he soon corrected thisdeviation in the route. But he had been carried already a hundredyards or more out of the straight line. To reach the two pointed rocksthat marked the entrance to the secret channel, he was obliged to creepback along the whole shoreward face of the Grand-père; and to thisaccident was due a surprise that ranked high in a day replete withmarvels. 

When the catamaran rounded the last outlying crag, and they were allstraining their eyes to find the sentinel pillars, they became awarethat a small boat was being pulled cautiously toward them from theopposite side of the rock. 

Iris gasped. She heard Hozier mutter under his breath, while SanBenavides revealed his dismay by an oath and a convulsive tightening ofthe hands that rested on the girl's shoulders. 

Hozier strove with a few desperate strokes of the paddle to reach theshadows of the passage before the catamaran was seen by the boat'soccupants. He might have succeeded. Many things can happen at nightand on the sea--strange escapades and hair's-breadth 'scapes--thrillsdenied to stay-at-homes dwelling in cities, who seldom venture beyond alighted area. But there was even a greater probability that theunwieldy catamaran might be caught by the swell and dashed side-longagainst one of the half-submerged rocks that thrust their black fangsabove the water. 

Happily, they were spared either alternative. At the very instant thattheir lot must be put to the test of chance, Coke's hoarse accents cameto their incredulous ears. 

"Let her go, Olsen, " he was growling. "We've a clear course now, an'that dam moon will spile everything if we're spotted. "

In this instance hearing was believing, and Philip was the first toguess what had actually occurred. 

"Boat ahoy, skipper!" he sang out in a joyous hail. 

Coke stood up. He glared hard at the reef. 

"Did ye 'ear it?" he cried to De Sylva, who was steering. "Sink me, I'ope I ain't a copyin' pore ole Watts, but if that wasn't Hozier'svoice I'm goin' dotty. "

"It's all right, skipper, " said Philip, sending the catamaran aheadwith a mighty sweep. "Miss Yorke is here--Captain San Benavides, too. I was sure you would look for us if you cleared the harbor safely. "

Then Coke proclaimed his sentiments in the approved ritual of the highseas, while the big Norseman at the oars swung the boat's head rounduntil both craft were traveling in company to the waiting launch. Butbefore anything in the nature of an explanation was forthcoming fromthe occupants of either the boat or the catamaran, a broad beam ofwhite light swept over the crest of the island from north to south. Itdisappeared, to return more slowly, until it rested on Rat Island, atthe extreme northwest of the group. It remained steady there, showinga wild panorama of rocky heights and tumbling sea. 

"A search-light, by G--d!" growled Coke. 

"Then there really _was_ a warship, " murmured Iris. 

"Ha!" said San Benavides, and his tone was almost gratified, for he hadgathered that Hozier was skeptical when told of the rockets. But inthat respect, at least, he was not mistaken. A man-of-war had enteredthe roadstead, and her powerful lamp was now scouring sea and coast forthe missing launch. And in that moment of fresh peril it was forgottenby all but one of the men who had survived so many dangers since thesun last gilded the peak of Fernando Noronha, that were it not for Irishaving been left behind, and Philip's mad plunge overboard to go toher, and the point-blank refusal of the _Andromeda's_ captain and crewto put to sea without an effort to save the pair of them, the launchwould not now be hidden behind the black mass of the Grand-père rock. 

Nevertheless, the fact was patent. Had the little vessel sailed to thewest, in the assumption that her only feasible course lay in thatdirection, she must have been discovered by the cruiser's far-seeingeye. And what that meant needed no words. The bones of the_Andromeda_ supplied testimony at once silent and all-sufficing. 

[1] The Governor's residence. 

[2] The Brazilian milrei is worth 55 cents, or 2s. 3 1/2d. ThePortuguese is worth only one-tenth of a cent. 

CHAPTER X

ON THE HIGH SEAS

Again did that awe-inspiring wand of light describe a great arc in thesky. But it was plain to be seen that it sprang from an altered base. The warship was in motion. She was about to steam around the group ofislands. 

Boat and catamaran raced at once for the launch; a Babel of strangeoaths jarred the brooding silence; alarm, almost panic, stirred men'shearts and bubbled forth in wild speech. Under pressure of this newperil the instinct of self-preservation burst the bonds of discipline. The first law of nature may be disregarded by heroes, but the_Andromeda's_ crew were just common sailormen, who did not know whenthey were heroic and did not care if they were deemed bestial. It maybe urged that they had suffered much. Out of a ship's company oftwenty-two exactly one half had survived the day's rigors. Domingo waslying in the cabin, too seriously injured to be concerned whether helived or died. With him were two wounded soldiers, happily saved fromthe ruthless ferocity of the fight alongside the wharf, when everyBrazilian in uniform found on deck was flung off to sink or swim as hewas best able. Indeed, it was during this phase of the struggle thatHozier managed to scramble on shore unnoticed. He landed at the samemoment as enemies who were blind to every other consideration excepttheir own dangerous plight. 

Small wonder, then, if authority was cast to the winds now that captureseemed to be unavoidable. Coke tried to still the tumult by thunderinga command to Norrie, second engineer, to throw open the throttle valve. He took the wheel in person, meaning to shape a course due east, andthus endeavor to avoid the cruiser's baleful glance. But some of themen realized instantly that this expedient would fail. They were in nomood for half measures. Norrie felt a bayonet under his leftshoulder-blade. Coke was roared down, and a hoarse voice growled:

"Me for the tall timbers, maties. It's each one for hisself now. "

"Aye, aye!" came the chorus . . . "Shove her ashore! . . . Give us achanst there. . . We've none at sea. "

Dom Corria, being something of a fatalist, did not interfere. On thiscockleshell of a craft, among these rude spirits of alien races, he waspowerless. On land a diplomat and strategist of high order, here hewas a cipher. Moreover, he was beaten to his knees, and he knew it. The arrival of the warship had upset his calculations. After manymonths' planning of flight, he had been forced, by the events of a fewhours, into an aggressive campaign. His little cohort had donewonders, it is true, but of what avail were these ill-equippedstalwarts against a fast-moving fort, armed with heavy guns andpropelled by thousands of steam horses? None, absolutely none. DomCorria drew San Benavides aside. 

"All is ended!" he said quietly. "We shall never see Brazil again, Salvador _meu_! Carmela must find another lover, it seems. "

Salvador did not appear to be specially troubled by the new questimposed on Carmela, but he was much perturbed by an uproar betokeningdisunion among the men who had already saved his life twice. He wasbeginning to believe in them. It was night, and they possessed avessel under steam. Why did they not hurry into the obscurity of thesmooth dark plain that looked so inviting?

It was left to Hozier to solve a problem that threatened to developinto a disastrous brawl. Danger sharpens a brave man's wits, but lovemakes him fey. To succor Iris was now his sole concern. He swung acouple of the excited sailors out of his way and managed to stem thetorrent of Coke's futile curses. 

"Give in to them!" he cried eagerly. "Tell them they are going ashorein the creek. That will stop the racket. If they listen to me, I canstill find a means of escape. "

"Avast yelpin', you swabs!" bellowed Coke. "D'ye want to let everybally sojer on the island know where you are? We're makin' for thecreek. Will _that_ please you? Now, Mr. Norrie, let her rip!"

The head of the launch swung toward the protecting shadows. The menknew the bearings of Cotton-Tree Bay, so the angry voices yielded toselfish thought. If it was to be _sauve qui peut_ when the vesselgrounded, there was ample room for thought, seeing that each man'sprobable fate would be that of a mad dog. 

Hozier seized the precious respite. He spoke loudly enough that allshould hear, and he began with a rebuke. 

"I am sorry that those of us who are left should have disgraced thefine record set up by the _Andromeda's_ crew since the ship struck, " hesaid. "Your messmates who fell fighting would hardly believe St. Peterhimself if he told them that we were on the verge of open mutiny. I amashamed of you. Let us have no more of that sort of thing. Sink orswim, we must pull together. "

There was some discordant muttering, but he gained one outspokenadherent. 

"Bully for you!" said the man who had suggested tree-climbing as anexpedient. 

"Shut up!" was the wrathful answer. "You've made plenty of rowalready. I only hope you have not attracted attention on the island. You may not have been heard, owing to the disturbance on the otherside, but no thanks to any of you for that. Our skipper's first notionwas to put to sea. Wasn't it natural? Do you want to be hunted overFernando Noronha at daybreak? But he would have seen the uselessnessof trying to slip the cruiser before the launch had gone a cable'slength. Now, here is a scheme that strikes me as workable. At anyrate, it offers a forlorn hope. There is a sharp bend in the creekjust where the tidal water ends. I fancy the launch will float alittle higher up, but we must risk it. We will take her in, unship themast, tie a few boughs and vines on the funnel, and not twentysearch-lights will find us. "

A rumble of approving murmurs showed that he had scotched the dragon. It was even ready to become subservient again. He continued rapidly:

"No vessel of deep draught can come close in shore from the east. Thecruiser will have the Grand-père rock abeam within an hour, but, tomake sure, two of you will climb the ridge and watch her movements. The rest will load up every available inch of space with wood and waterand food. How can we win clear of Fernando Noronha without fuel? Itis a hundred to one that the launch would not steam twenty miles on herpresent coal supply. Such as it is, we must keep it for an emergency, even if we are compelled to tear up the deck and dismantle the cabin. "

"Talks like a book!" snorted Coke, and some of the men grinnedsheepishly. 

Hozier was coolly reminding them of those vital things which frenzy hadfailed wholly to take into account. Confidence was reborn in them. They wanted to cheer this fearless young officer who seemed to forgetnothing, but the island promontories were so close at hand thatperforce they were dumb. 

The simplicity of the project was its best recommendation. Sailorsthemselves, the mind of the cruiser's commander was laid bare to them. He would soon be convinced that the launch had passed him in the darkere the search-light looked out over the sea. Long before the circuitof Fernando Noronha was completed he would be itching to rush at topspeed along the straight line to Pernambuco. It was a bold thing, too, to land on the island and stock their vessel for a voyage, the end ofwhich no man could foresee. The dare-devil notion fascinated them. Inthat instant, the _Andromeda's_ crew returned to their allegiance, which was as well, since it was fated to be stiffly tested many timesere they were reported inside 1 degree West again. 

Unfortunately, Coke was in a raging temper. Never before had hissupremacy been challenged. Having lost control over his men, he owedits restoration to Hozier. Such a fact was gall and wormwood to a manof his character, and he was mean-souled enough to be vindictive. Promising himself the future joy of pounding to a jelly the features ofevery mother's son among the forecastle hands, he began to snarl hisorders. 

"Watts, you must leg it to the sky-line, an' pipe the cruiser. Olsen, you go, too, an' see that Mr. Watts doesn't find a brewery. Hozier, p'raps you'd like to rig the mistletoe. Miss Yorke 'll 'elp, I'm sure. It's up to you, mister, an' his nibs with the sword, to parly-voo tothe other convicts about the grub. Is there a nigger's wood-pilehandy? If not, we must collar the hut. I'll take care of the stowage. "

He meant each jibe to hurt, and probably succeeded, but Watts was toodespondent, and Hozier and De Sylva too self-controlled, to say aughtthat would add to their difficulties. Nevertheless, he was answered, from a quarter whence retort was least expected. 

"You must modify your instructions, Captain Coke, " said Iris with quietscorn. "It would be a shameful act to destroy the house of those whobefriended us. They gave freely of their stores, as you will see bythe supplies lashed to the catamaran, and will assist us further ifSenhor De Sylva appeals to them----"

"You can safely leave that to me, " broke in Dom Corria. 

But Iris was not to be placated thus easily. 

"I know that, " she said. "I only wished Captain Coke to understandthat if he cannot make clear his meaning he should obey rather thancommand. "

"The lady 'as 'ad the last word. Now let's get busy, " sneered Coke. 

Hozier, who had not quitted his side since the incipient outbreak wasquelled, gripped his shoulder. 

"There is a pile of wood near the cottage, " he said in Coke's ear. "Isaw it there. It must be paid for. Have you any money?"

"A loose quid or two--no more. "

"A sovereign will be ample. Miss Yorke has already given the ownerstwo pounds. "

"Wot for?"

"For their kindness. You are all there when it comes to a scrap, skipper, but at most other times you ought to be muzzled. No, don'ttalk now. We will discuss the point on some more suitable occasion, when we can deal with it fully, and Miss Yorke is not present. "

Philip spoke in a whisper, but the low pitch of his voice did notconceal its menace. He was longing to twine his fingers round Coke'sthick neck, and some hint of his desire was communicated by the clutchof his hand. Coke shook himself free. He feared no man born, but itwould be folly to attack Hozier then, and he was not a fool. 

"Let go, you blank ijjit, " he growled. "I've no grudge ag'in you. Ifwe pull out of this mess you'll 'ave to square matters wi' David Verityan' that other ole ninny, Dickey Bulmer. She's promised to 'im, youknow. Told me so 'erself, so there's no mistake. I got me rag out, Iadmit, an' 'oo wouldn't after bein' 'owled down by those swine forrard. My godfather! Watch me put it over 'em w'en I get the chanst. Stop'er, Norrie! There's plenty of way on 'er to round that bend. "

Hozier reflected that he had chosen an odd moment to quarrel with hiscaptain, whose mordant humor in the matter of the mistletoe was onlyaccentuated by his reference to Iris's reported engagement. Thepungent smell of the mangrove swamp was wafted now to his nostrils. Itbrought a species of warning that the disagreeable conditions of lifein Fernando Noronha were yet active. It was not pleasant to be thussuddenly reminded of pitfalls that might exist in England; meanwhile, here was the launch thrusting her nose into the mud and shingle of thismalevolent island. 

To his further annoyance, San Benavides, who depended on his compatriotfor a summary of the latest scheme, asked Iris to accompany De Sylvaand himself to the hut. 

"They are stupid creatures, these peasants, " he said. "When they seeyou they will not be frightened. "

There was so much reason in the statement that Iris was a readyvolunteer. Soon all hands were at work, and it was due to the girl'sforethought that strips of linen were procured from Luisa Gomez, andhealing herbs applied to the cuts and bruises of the injured men. Sylva was all for leaving the two soldiers on the island, but Coke'ssailor-like acumen prevented the commission of that blunder. 

"No, that will never do, " he said, with irritating offhandness. "Thesejokers will be found at daylight, an' they'll be able to say exactlywot time we quit. The wimmin can make out they was scared stiff an'darsent stir. It 'ud be different with the sojers. An' we ain't goin'to have such a 'eart-breakin' start, even if the cruiser clears awaysoon after two o'clock. "

"Where do you propose to make for?"

"Where d'ye think, mister? Nor'-east by nor', to be sure, until wesight some homeward-bound ship. "

There was a pause. The pair could talk unheard, since they werestanding on the bank, and the men were either loading firewood andfruit and cassava, or stripping trees and vines to hide thesuperstructure of the launch. 

"You mean to abandon everything, then?" said De Sylva. He seemed to bewatching the onward sweep of the search-light as the warship went tothe north. But Coke was shrewd. He felt that there was somethingbehind the words, and he suspected the ex-President's motives. 

"I don't see any 'elp for it, " he answered. "Gord's trewth, wot isthere to abandon? I've lost me ship, an' me money, an' me papers, an''arf me men. Unless one was lookin' for trouble, this ain't notreasure island, mister. "

"Yet it might be made one. "

"As how?"

"Do you not realize how greatly the members of the present Governmentfear my return to Brazil? Here, I am their prisoner, practicallyfriendless, almost alone. They dare not kill me by process of law, yetthey are moving heaven and earth to prevent my escape, or shoot me downin the act. Why? Because they know that the people are longing tohail me as President again. Suppose you and your men took me toPernambuco----"

"S'pose hell!" snapped Coke. 

"Please listen. You can but refuse when you look at the facts fairly. If, as I say, I were put ashore at Pernambuco, or at any other of halfa dozen ports I can name, I should be among my own followers. You, Captain Coke, and every officer and man of your ship, and her owners, and the relatives of those who have lost their lives, would not only bepaid all just claims by the new Government, but adequately rewarded. In your own case, the recompense would be princely. But, assuming thatwe board a vessel bound for Europe, what certainty have you that youwill ever receive a penny?"

"Oh, reely, that's comin' it a bit thick, mister, " growled Coke. 

"You believe I am exaggerating the difficulties of your position? Prayconsider. Your vessel is broken up. She was fired on while at anchoron the wrong side of the island, on the very day selected for myescape. You and your men manage to dodge the bullets, and, under myleadership, assisted by Captain San Benavides, you overrun the place bynight, kill several soldiers, seize a launch, despoil peasants of theircrops and stores, and make off with a good deal of property belongingto the Brazilian Government, not to mention the presence in your midstof such a significant personage as myself. Speaking candidly, SenhorCaptain, what chance have you of convincing any international court ofyour innocence? Who will believe that you were not a true filibuster?That is what Brazil will say you are. How will you disprove it? Inany event, who will enforce your claims against my country? Englishpublic opinion would never compel your Government to take action insuch an exceedingly doubtful case, now would it?"

"If we was to try and land you in Brazil, we'd bust up our claim forgood an' all, " muttered Coke. Though this was a powerful argumentagainst De Sylva's theory, it revealed certain qualms of perplexity. The other man's brilliant eyes gleamed for an instant, but he guardedhis voice. He was in his element now. When words were weapons hecould vanquish a thousand such adversaries. 

"I think otherwise, " he said slowly. "A judge might well hold that ina small vessel like the launch you were entitled to make for thenearest land. But I grant you that point; it is really immaterial. IfI fail, you lose everything. Accept my offer, and you have areasonable chance of winning a fortune. "

"Wot exactly is your offer?"

"Ample compensation officially. Five thousand pounds to you in person. "

"Five thousand!" Coke cleared a throat husky with doubt. He scratchedhis head under the absurd-looking kepi which he was still wearing; fora moment, his lips set in grim calculation. "That 'ud make thingspretty easy for the missus an' the girls, " he muttered. "An' there'sno new ship for me w'en Dickey Bulmer cocks 'is eye at Hozier. It's amoral there'll be a holy row between 'im an' David. . . . D'ye meanit, mister?"

"Even if I fail, and my life is spared, I will pay you the money out ofmy own private funds, " was the vehement reply. 

"Well, well, leave the job to me. You sawr 'ow them tinkers jibbedjust now. I must 'umor 'em a bit, d--n 'em. But wait till the nexttime some of 'em ships under me. Lord luv' a duck, won't I skin 'em?Not 'arf!"

De Sylva, with all his admirable command of English, could not followthe Coke variety in its careless freedom. But he knew his man. Thoughbewildered by strange names and stranger words, he was alive to thesignificance of things being made easy "for the missus and the girls. "So, even this gnarled sea-dog had a soft spot in his heart! On thevery brink of the precipice his mind turned to his women-kind, just asDe Sylva himself had whispered a last memory of his daughter to SanBenavides when their common doom was seemingly unavoidable. 

He would urge no more, since Coke was willing to fall in with hisdesigns, but he could not forbear from clinching matters. 

"I promise on my honor----" he began. 

But the nearer surface of the sea flashed into a dazzling distinctness, and Coke dragged him down to the launch. The cruiser had rounded RatIsland, and was devoting one sweeping glance eastward ere she soughther prey in creek or tortuous channel. The men were summoned hastily. Watts and Olsen had been warned to crouch behind the rocks on thecrest, while those who remained near the launch were told to hide amongthe trees or crowd into the small cabin. Movement of any kind wasforbidden. There was no knowing who might be astir on the hills, and asharp eye might note the presence of foreigners in Cotton-Tree Bay. Hozier had not forgotten the risk of detection from the shore, and thevessel was plentifully decorated with greenery. The long, large-leafedvines and vigorous castor-oil plants were peculiarly useful at thiscrisis. Trailing over the low freeboard into the water, they screenedthe launch so completely that Watts and the Norwegian, perched highabove the creek at a distance of three hundred yards, could only guessher whereabouts when the search-light made the Gomez plantation lightas day. 

The cruiser evidently discovered traces of the _Andromeda_ onGrand-pere. She stopped an appreciable time, and created a flutter inmany anxious hearts by a loud hoot of her siren. It did not occur toanyone at the moment that she was signaling to the troops bivouacked onSouth Point. De Sylva was the first to read this riddle aright. Hewhispered his belief, and it soon won credence, since the warshipcontinued her scrutiny of the coast-line. 

At last, after a wearying delay, she vanished. Five minutes later, Watts and Olsen brought the welcome news that she was returning to theroadstead. 

It was then half-past two o'clock, and the sun would rise soon afterfive. Now or never the launch must make her effort. Ready hands toreaway her disguise, she was tilted by crowding in the poop nearly everyman on board, the engines throbbed, and she was afloat. 

At daybreak the thousand-foot peak of Fernando Noronha was a dark bluron the western horizon. No sail or smudge of smoke broke the remainderof the far-flung circle. The fugitives could breathe freely once more. They were not pursued. 

Iris fell asleep when assured that the dreaded warship was not insight. Hozier, too, utterly exhausted by all that he had gone through, slept as if he were dead. Coke, whose iron constitution defiedfatigue, though it was with the utmost difficulty that he had walkedacross the narrow breadth of Fernando Noronha, took the first watch inperson. He chatted with the men, surprised them by his candor on thequestion of compensation, and announced his resolve to make for thethree-hundred-mile channel between Fernando Noronha and the mainland. 

"You see, it's this way, me lads, " he explained affably. "We're shorto' vittles an' bunker, an' if we kep' cruisin' east in this latitoodwe'd soon be drawrin' lots to see 'oo'd cut up juiciest. So we mustrun for the tramp's track, which is two hundred miles to the west. We'll bear north, an' that rotten cruiser will look south for sartin, seein' as 'ow they know we 'ave the next President aboard. "

Coke paused to take breath. 

"Wot a pity we can't give 'im a leg up, " he added confidentially. "It'ud be worth a pension to every man jack of us. 'Ere 'e is, specialfreight, so to speak. W'y _'e'd sign anythink_. "

Once the train was laid, it was a simple matter to fire the mine. WhenHozier awoke, to find the launch heading west, he was vastly astonishedby Coke's programme. It was all cut and dried, and there was reallynothing to cavil at. If they met a steamship, and she stopped inresponse to their signals, her captain would be asked to take care, notonly of Miss Yorke, but of any other person who shirked furtheradventure. As for Coke, and Watts, and the majority of the men, theywere pledged to De Sylva. Even Norrie, the engineer, a hard-headedScot, meant to stick to the launch until the President that was andwould be again was safely landed among his expectant people. 

Watts let the cat out of the bag later. 

"Those of us 'oo don't leave Dom Wot's-'is-name in the lurch are to getten years' full pay, extry an' over an' above wot the court allows, " hesaid. "Just think of it! Don't it make your mouth water? Reminds meof a chap I wonst read about in a trac'. It tole 'ow 'e took to booze. One 'ot Sunday, bein' out for a walk, 'e swiped 'arf a pint of gingerbeer, the next 'e tried shandy-gaff, the third 'e went the whole hog, an' then 'e never stopped for ten years. My godfather! Ten years' payan' a ten years' drunk! It's enough to make a sinner of any man. "

Hozier laughed. Two days ago he would have asked no better luck thanthe helping of Dom Corria to regain his Presidentship. Now, there wasIris to protect. He would not be content to leave her in charge of thefirst grimy collier they encountered, nor was he by any means sure thatshe would agree to be thus disposed of. He was puzzled by the singularunanimity of purpose displayed by his shipmates. But that was theiraffair. His was to insure Iris's safety; the future he must leave toProvidence. 

And, indeed, Providence contrived things very differently. 

By nightfall the launch was a hundred miles west of the island. Norriegot eight knots out of her, but it needed no special calculation todiscover that she would barely make the coast of Brazil if she consumedevery ounce of coal and wood on board. The engines were strong and ingood condition, but she had no bunker space for a long voyage. Were itnot for Hozier's foresight she would have been drifting with the GulfStream four hours after leaving the island. As it was, unless theyreceived a fresh supply of fuel from another ship, they mustunquestionably take the straightest line to the mainland. 

During the day they had sighted three vessels, but at such distancesthat signaling was useless, each being hull down on their limitedhorizon. Moreover, they had to be cautious. The cruiser, trusting toher speed, might try a long cast north and south of the launch'ssupposed path. She alone, among passing ships, would be scouring thesea with incessant vigilance, and it behooved them, now as ever, not toattract her attention. They were burning wood, so there was no smoke, and the mast was unstepped. Yet the hours of daylight were tortured byconstant fear. Even Iris was glad when the darkness came and they werehidden. 

At midnight a curious misfortune befell them. The compass had beensmashed during the fight, and not a sailor among them owned one of thetiny compasses that are often worn as a charm on the watchchain. Thisdrawback, of little consequence when sun or stars could be seen, assumed the most serious importance when a heavy fog spread over theface of the waters. The set of the current was a guide of a sort, but, as events proved, it misled them. Man is ever prone to over-estimate, and such a slight thing as the lap of water across the bows of a smallcraft was sure to be miscalculated; they contrived to steer west, it istrue, but with a southerly inclination. 

At four o'clock, by general reckoning, they were mid-way between islandand continent. They were all wide awake, too weary and miserable tosleep. Suddenly a fog-horn smote the oppressive gloom. It drew near. A huge blotch crossed their bows. They could feel it rather than seeit. They heard some order given in a foreign language, and De Sylvawhispered:

"The _Sao Geronimo_!"

"The wot-ah?" demanded Coke, who was standing beside him. 

"The cruiser!"

Coke listened. He could distinguish the half-speed beating of twinscrews. He knew at once that the ex-President must have recognized thewarship as she passed the creek, but, by some accident, had failed tomention her name during the long hours that had sped in the meantime. The sinister specter passed and the launch crept on. Everyone on boardwas breathless with suspense. Faces were shrouded by night and thefog, but some gasped and others mumbled prayers. One of the woundedsoldiers shouted in delirium, and a coat was thrust over his head withbrutal force. The fog-horn blared again, two cables' lengths distant. They were saved, for the moment!

In a little while, perhaps twenty minutes, they heard another siren. It sounded a different note, a quaintly harsh blend of discords. Whatsoever ship this might be, it was not the _Sao Geronimo_. And inthat thrilling instant there was a coldness on one side of their facesthat was not on the other. Moist skin is a weather-vane in its way. Abreeze was springing up. Soon the fog would be rolled from off the seaand the sun would peer at them in mockery. 

Coke's gruff voice reached every ear:

"This time we're nabbed for keeps unless you all do as I bid you, " hesaid. "When the fog lifts, the cruiser will see us. There's only onething for it. Somewhere, close in, is a steamer. She's a tramp, bythe wheeze of 'er horn. We've got to board 'er an' sink the launch. If she's British, or American, O. K. , as 'er people will stand by us. If she's a Dago, we've got to collar 'er, run every whelp into theforehold, an' answer the cruiser's signals ourselves. That's thesittiwation, accordin' to my reckonin'. Now, 'oo's for it?"

"Butt right in, skipper, " said a gentleman who claimed Providence, Rhode Island, as the place of his nativity. 

Hozier, who had contrived to draw near Iris while Coke was speaking, breathed softly, so that none other could hear:

"This is rank piracy. But what else can we do?"

"Is it wrong?" she asked. 

"Well--no, provided we kill no one. We are justified in saving our ownlives, and the average German or Italian shipmaster would hand us overto the Brazilians without scruple. "

Iris was far from Bootle and its moralities. 

"I don't care what happens so long as you are not hurt, " she whispered. 

"Mr. Hozier, " said Coke thickly. 

"Yes, sir. "

"You've got good eyes an' quick ears. Lay out as far forrard as youcan, an' pass the word for steerin'. "

Hozier obeyed. The discordant bleat of a foghorn came again, apparently right ahead. In a few seconds he caught the flapping of apropeller, and silenced the launch's engines. 

"We are close in now, " he said to Coke, after a brief and noiselessdrift. "Why not try a hail!"

"Ship ahoy!" shouted Coke, with all the force of brazen lungs. 

The screw of the unseen ship stopped. The sigh of escaping steamreached them. 

"_Holla_! _Wer rufe_?" was the gruff answer. 

"Sink me if it ain't a German!" growled Coke, _sotto-voce_, "Norrie, you must stick here till I sing out to you. Then open your exhaust an'unscrew a sea-cock. . . . Wot ship is that?" he vociferated aloud. 

Some answer was forthcoming--what, it mattered not. The launch bumpedinto the rusty ribs of a twelve-hundred ton tramp. A rope ladder waslowered. A round-faced Teuton mate--fat and placid--was vastlysurprised to find a horde of nondescripts pouring up the ship's side inthe wake of a short, thick, bovine-looking person who neitherunderstood nor tried to understand a word he was saying. 

These extraordinary visitors from the deep brought with them a girl andthree wounded men. By this time the captain was aroused; he spoke someEnglish. 

"Vas iss diss?" he asked, surveying the newcomers with amazement, andtheir bizarre costumes with growing nervousness. "Vere haf you coomedvrom?"

Coke pushed him playfully into the cook's galley. 

"This is too easy, " he chortled. "Set about 'em, you swabs. Don'thurt anybody unless they ax for it. Round every son of a gun into thefo'c'sle till I come. Mr. Watts, the bridge for you. Olsen, take thewheel. Mr. Hozier, see wot you can find in their flag locker. _Now_, Mr. Norrie! Sharp for it. You're wanted in the engine-room. "

And that is how ex-President Dom Corria Antonio De Sylva acquired thenucleus of his fleet, though, unhappily, an accident to a sea-cockforthwith deprived him of a most useful and seaworthy steam launch. 

CHAPTER XI

A LIVELY MORNING IN EXCHANGE BUILDINGS

Coke and his merry men became pirates during the early morning ofThursday, September 2d; the curious reader can ascertain the year bylooking up "Brazil" in any modern Encyclopedia, and turning to thesub-division "Recent History. " On Monday, September 6th, David Verityentered his office in Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, hung his hat andovercoat on their allotted pegs, swore at the office boy because somespots of rain had come in through an open window, and ran a feverishglance through his letters to learn if any envelopes bearing theplanetary devices of the chief cable companies had managed to hidethemselves among the mass of correspondence. 

The act was perfunctory. Well he knew that telephone or specialmessenger would speedily have advised him if news of the _Andromeda_had arrived since he left the office on Saturday afternoon. But it issaid that drowning men clutch at straws, and the metaphor might beapplied to Verity with peculiar aptness. He was sinking in a sea oftroubles, sinking because the old buoyancy was gone, sinking becausemany hands were stretched forth to push him under, and never one todraw him forth. 

There was no cablegram, of course. Dickey Bulmer, who had become awaking nightmare to the unhappy shipowner, had said there wouldn'tbe--said it twelve hours ago, after wringing from Verity the astoundingadmission that Iris was on board the _Andromeda_. It was not becausethe vessel was overdue that David confessed. Bulmer, despite hissixty-eight years, was an acute man of business. Moreover, he wasblessed with a retentive memory, and he treasured every word of thebogus messages from Iris concocted by her uncle. They were lucid atfirst, but under the stress of time they wore thin, grew disconnected, showed signs of the strain imposed on their author's imagination. Bulmer, a typical Lancashire man, blended in his disposition a genialopenhandedness with a shrewd caution. He could display a princelygenerosity in dealing with Verity as the near relative and guardian ofhis promised wife; to the man whom he suspected of creating theobstacles that kept her away from him he applied a pitiless logic. 

The storm had burst unexpectedly. Bulmer came to dinner, ate and drankand smoked in quiet amity until David's laboring muse conveyed hisniece's latest "kind love an' good wishes, " and then----

"Tell you wot, " said Dickey, "there's another five thousand dueto-morrow on the surveyor's report. "

"There is, " said Verity, knowing that his guest and prospective partneralluded to the new steamer in course of construction on the Clyde. 

"Well, it won't be paid. "

David lifted his glass of port to hide his face. Was this the firstrumbling of the tempest? Though expected hourly, he was not preparedfor it. His hand trembled. He dared not put the wine to his lips. 

"Wot's up now?" he asked. 

"You're playin' some underhand game on me, David, an' I won't standit, " was the unhesitating reply. "You're lyin' about Iris. You've binlyin' ever since she disappeared from Bootle. Show me 'er letters an'their envelopes, an' I'll find the money. But, of course, you can't. They don't exist. Now, own up as man to man, an' I'll see if thisaffair can be settled without the lawyers. You know wot it means once_they_ take hold. "

Then David set down the untasted wine and told the truth. Notall--that was not to be dreamed of. In the depths of his heart hefeared Bulmer. The old man's repute for honesty was widespread. Hewould fling his dearest friend into prison for such a swindle as thatarranged between Coke and the shipowner. But it was a positive reliefto divulge everything that concerned Iris. From his pocket-book Davidproduced her frayed letter, and Bulmer read it slowly, aloud, througheyeglasses held at a long focus. 

Now, given certain definite circumstances, an honest man and a roguewill always view them differently. David had interpreted the girl'sguarded phrases in the light of his villainous compact with Coke. Dickey, unaware of this disturbing element, was inwardly amazed tolearn that Verity had lied so outrageously with the sole object ofcarrying through a commercial enterprise. 

"'Tell him I shall marry him when the _Andromeda_ returns to Englandfrom South America, '" he read. And again . . . "'The vessel is dueback at the end of September, I believe, so Mr. Bulmer will not havelong to wait. '"

If, in the first instance, David had not been swept off his feet by themagnitude of the catastrophe, if he had not commenced the series ofprevarications before the letter reached him, he might have adopted theonly sane course and taken Bulmer fully into his confidence. It wastoo late now. Explanation was useless. The only plea that occurred tohim was more deadly than silence, since it was her knowledge of thecontemplated crime that made Iris a stowaway. He had never guessed howthat knowledge was attained and the added mystery intensified historture. 

Dickey rose from the table. His movements showed his age that night. 

"I'll think it over, David, " he said. "There's more in this than meetsthe eye. I'll just go home an' think it over. Mebbe I'll call at yourplace in the mornin'. "

So here was Verity, awaiting Bulmer's visit as a criminal awaits ahangman. There was no shred of hope in his mind that his one-timecrony would raise a finger to save him from bankruptcy. Some offensesare unforgivable, and high in the list ranks the folly of separating awealthy old man from his promised bride. 

Now that a reprieve was seemingly impossible, he faced his misfortuneswith a dour courage. It had been a difficult and thankless task duringthe past month to stave off pressing creditors. With Iris in Bootleand Bulmer her devoted slave, Verity would have weathered the gale withjaunty self-confidence. But that element of strength was lacking; nay, more, he felt in his heart that it could never be replaced. He was nolonger the acute, blustering, effusive Verity, who in one summer'safternoon had secured a rich partner and forced an impecunious sailorto throw away a worn-out ship. The insurance held good, of course, andthere simply _must_ be some sort of tidings of the _Andromeda_ to handbefore the end of September. Yet things had gone wrong, desperatelywrong, and he was quaking with the belief that there was worse in store. 

He began to read his letters. They were mostly in the same vein, duns, more or less active. His managing clerk entered. 

"There's an offer of 5s. 6d. Cardiff to Bilbao and Bilbao to the Tynefor the _Hellespont_. It is better than nothing. Shall we take it, sir?"

The _Hellespont_ was the firm's other ship. She, too, was old andrunning at a loss. 

"Yes. Wot is it, coal or patent fuel?"

"Coal, with a return freight of ore. "

"Wish it was dynamite, with fuses laid on. "

The clerk grinned knowingly. Men grow callous when money tilts thescale against human lives. 

"There's no news of the _Andromeda_, and _her_ rate is all right, " hesaid. 

David scowled at him. 

"D--n the rate!" he cried. "I want to 'ear of the ship. Wot the----"

But his subordinate vanished. David read a few more letters. Somewere from the families of such of the _Andromeda's_ crew as lived inSouth Shields, the Hartlepools, Whitby. They asked as a great favorthat a telegram might be sent when----

"Oh, curse my luck!" groaned the man, quivering under the convictionthat the _Andromeda_ was lost "by the act of God" as the charter-partyputs it. The belief unnerved him. Those words have an ominous ring inthe ears of evil-doers. He could show a bold front to his fellowmen, but he squirmed under the dread conception of a supernatural vengeance. So, like every other malefactor, David railed against his "luck. "Little did he guess the extraordinary turn that his "luck" was about totake. 

The office boy announced a visitor, evidently not the terrible Bulmer, since he said:

"Gennelman to see yer, sir. "

"Oo is it?" growled the shipowner. 

"Gennelman from the noospaper, sir. "

"Can't be bothered. "

"'E sez hit's most himportant, sir. "

"Wot is?"

"I dunno, sir. "

"Well, show 'im in. I'll soon settle 'im. "

A quiet-mannered young man appeared. He ignored David's sharp, "Now, wot can I do for you?" and drew up a chair, on which he seated himself, uninvited. 

"May I ask if you have received any private news of the _Andromeda_?"he began. 

"No. "

"In that case, you must prepare yourself for a statement that may giveyou a shock, " said the journalist. 

David creaked round in his chair. His face, not so red as of yore, paled distinctly. 

"Is she lost?" said he in a strangely subdued tone. 

"I--I fear she is. But there is much more than an ordinary shipwreckat issue. Several telegrams of the gravest import have reached us thismorning. Perhaps, before I ask you any questions, you ought to readthem. They are in type already, and I have brought you proofs. Hereis the first. "

David took from the interviewer's outstretched hand a long strip ofwhite paper. For an appreciable time his seething brain refused tocomprehend the curiously black letters that grouped themselves intowords on the limp sheet. And, indeed, he was not to be blamed if hewas dull of understanding, for this is what he read:

 "REVOLUTION IN BRAZIL. 

 "SERIOUS POSITION. 

 "STARTLING ESCAPADE OF A BRITISH SHIP. 

"RIO DE JANEIRO, September 5th. A situation of exceptional gravity hasevidently arisen on the island of Fernando do Noronha, whence, it issaid, ex-President De Sylva recently attempted to escape. A battleshipand two cruisers have been despatched thither under forced draught. Nopublic telegrams have been received from the island during the pastweek, and the authorities absolutely refuse any information as toearlier events, though the local press hints at some extraordinarydevelopments not unconnected with the appearance off the island of aBritish steamship known as the _Andromeda_. 

"_Later_--De Sylva landed last night at the small port of Maceio in theprovince of Alagoas, a hundred miles south of Pernambuco. It iscurrently reported that Fernando Noronha was captured by a gang ofBritish freebooters. De Sylva's return is unquestionable. To-day heissued a proclamation, and his partisans have seized some portion ofthe railway. Excitement here is at fever heat. "

Verity glared at the journalist. He laughed, almost hysterically. 

"The _Andromeda_!" he gasped. "Wot rot! Wot silly rot!"

"Better withhold your opinion until you have mastered the whole story, "was the unemotional comment. "Here is a more detailed message. It isprinted exactly as cabled. We have not added a syllable except theinterpolation of such words as 'that' and 'the. ' You will find itsomewhat convincing, I imagine. "

The shipowner grasped another printed slip. This time he was able toread more lucidly:

"PERNAMBUCO, September 4th. Public interest in the abortive attempt toreinstate Dom Corria De Sylva as President was waning rapidly when itwas fanned into fresh activity by news that reached this port to-day. It appears that on the 31st ulto. A daring effort was made to free DeSylva, who, with certain other ministers expelled by the successfulrevolution of two years ago, is a prisoner on the island of Fernando doNoronha. Lloyd's agent on that island reports that the British steamer_Andromeda_, owned by David Verity & Co. Of Liverpool, put into SouthBay, on the southeast side of Fernando do Noronha, early on the morningof August 31st, and it is alleged that her mission was to take De Sylvaand his companions on board. The garrison, forewarned by the centralgovernment, and already on the _qui vive_ owing to the disappearance oftheir important prisoners from their usual quarters, opened fire on the_Andromeda_ as soon as she revealed her purpose by lowering a boat. 

"The steamer, being unarmed, made no attempt to defend herself, and wasspeedily disabled. She sank, within five minutes, off the Grand-pèrerock, with all on board. With reckless bravado, her commander ran upthe vessel's code signals and house flag while she was actually goingdown, thus establishing her identity beyond a shadow of doubt. A noteof pathos is added to the tragedy by the undoubted presence of a ladyon board--probably De Sylva's daughter, though it was believed herethat the ex-President's family were in Paris. Telegrams from theisland are strictly censored, and the foregoing statement isunofficial, but your correspondent does not question its generalaccuracy. Indeed, he has reason to credit a widespread rumor that theisland is still in a very disturbed condition. No one knows definitelywhether or not De Sylva has been recaptured. It is quite certain thathe has not landed in Brazil, but the reticence of the authorities as tothe state of affairs on Fernando Noronha leads to the assumption thathe and a few stanch adherents are still in hiding in one of the manynatural fastnesses with which the island abounds. 

"The British community on the littoral is deeply stirred by the drastictreatment received by the _Andromeda_. It is pointed out that anothership, the _Andros-y-Mela_, believed to have been chartered by theinsurgents, is under arrest at Bahia, and the similarity between thetwo names is regarded as singular, to say the least. Were it not thatLloyd's agent, whose veracity cannot be questioned, has statedexplicitly that the _Andromeda_ put in to South Bay--a pointsignificantly far removed from the regular track of trading vessels--itmight be urged that a terrible mistake had been made. In any event, the whole matter must be strictly inquired into, and one of HisMajesty's ships stationed in the South Atlantic should visit the islandat the earliest date possible. _Delayed in transmission_. "

Something buzzed inside Verity's head and stilled all sense ofactuality. He was unnaturally calm. Though the weather was chilly forearly September, great beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead. His eyes were dull; they lacked their wonted shiftiness. He gazed atthe reporter unblinkingly, as though thought itself refused to act. 

"Is that the lot?" he inquired mechanically. 

"Nearly all, at present. These cablegrams reached us through London, and the agency took the earliest measures to substantiate theiraccuracy. The Brazilian Embassy pooh-poohs the whole story, butEmbassies invariably do that until the news is stale. By their ownshowing, Ambassadors are singularly ill-informed men, especially inmatters affecting their own countries. Here, however, is a shorttelegram from Paris which is of minor interest. "

And Verity read again:

"PARIS, September 6th. The members of Dom Corria De Sylva's family, seen early this morning at the Hotel Continental, deny that any ladyconnected with the cause of Brazilian freedom took part in theattempted rescue of the ex-President. They are much annoyed by theunfounded report, and hold strongly to the opinion that the revolutionwould now have been a _fait accompli_ had not a traitor revealed thedestination of the _Andros-y-Mela_ and thus led to that vessel'sdetention at Bahia. "

The lady! Iris Yorke! At last David's supercharged mind was beginningto assimilate ideas. He was conscious of a fierce pain in the regionof his heart. The buzzing in his head continued, and the journalist'svoice came to him as through a dense screen. 

"You will observe that the former President's relatives tacitly admitthat there was a plot on foot, " the other was saying. "It is importantto note, too, that the long message from Pernambuco, marked 'delayed intransmission' seems to imply a prior telegram which was suppressed. Italludes to a revolt of which nothing is known here. Now, Mr. Verity, Iwant to ask you----"

The door was flung open. In rushed Dickey Bulmer with a speedstrangely disproportionate to his years. In his hands he held acrumpled newspaper. 

"You infernal blackguard, have you seen this?" he roared, and hisattitude threatened instant assault on the dazed man looking up at him. The reporter moved out of the way. Here, indeed, was "copy" of theright sort. Bulmer held a position of much local importance. That heshould use such language to the owner of the _Andromeda_ promiseddevelopments "of the utmost public interest. "

David stood up. His chair fell over with a crash. He held on to thetable to steady himself. Even Bulmer, white with rage, could not failto see that he was stunned. 

But Dickey was not minded to spare him on that account. 

"Answer me, you scoundrel!" he shouted, thrusting the paper almost intoDavid's face. "You are glib enough when it suits your purpose. Were_you_ in this? Is this the reason you didn't tell me Iris was on boardtill I forced the truth out of you last night?"

The managing clerk came in. Behind him, a couple of juniors and theoffice boy supplied reënforcements. They all had the settledconviction that their employer was a rogue, but he paid them in noniggardly fashion, and they would not suffer anyone to attack him. 

This incursion from the external world had a restorative effect onVerity. Being what is termed a self-made man, he had a fine sense ofhis own importance, and his subordinates' lack of respect forthwithovercame every other consideration. 

"Get out!" he growled, waving a hand toward the door. 

"But, sir--please, gentlemen----" stuttered the senior clerk. 

"Get out, I tell you! D--n yer eyes, 'oo sent for any of you?"

Undoubtedly David was recovering. The discomfited clerks retired. Even Dickey Bulmer was quieted a little. But he still shook thenewspaper under David's nose. 

"Now!" he cried. "Let's have it. No more of your flamin' made-uptales. Wot took you to shove the _Andromeda_ into a rat-trap of thissort?"

David staggered away from the table. He seemed to be laboring forbreath. 

"'Arf a mo'. No need to yowl at me like that, " he protested. 

He fumbled with the lock of a corner cupboard, opened it, and drewforth a decanter and some glasses. A tumbler crashed to the floor, andthe slight accident was another factor in clearing his wits. He sworevolubly. 

"Same thing 'appened that Sunday afternoon, " he said, apparentlyobvious of the other men's presence. "My poor lass upset one, she did. Wish she'd ha' flung it at my 'ed. . . . Did it say 'went down withall 'ands, ' mister?" he demanded suddenly of the reporter. 

"Yes, Mr. Verity. "

"Is it true?"

"I trust not, but Lloyd's agent--well, I needn't tell you that Lloyd'sis reliable. Was your niece on board? Is she the lady mentioned inthe cablegram?"

Then Bulmer woke up to the fact that there was a stranger present. 

"'Ello!" he cried angrily. "Wot are you doin' ere? 'Oo are you? Beoff, instantly. "

"I am not going until Mr. Verity hears what I have to ask him, andanswers, or not, as he feels disposed, " was the firm reply. 

"Leave 'im alone, Dickey. It's all right. Wot does it matter now 'ooknows all there is to know? Just gimme a minnit. "

Verity poured out some brandy. Man is but a creature of habit, and thehospitable Lancastrian does not drink alone when there is company. 

"'Ave a tiddly?" he inquired blandly. 

Both Bulmer and the journalist believed that David was losing hisfaculties. Never did shipowner behave more queerly when faced by adisaster of like magnitude, involving, as did the _Andromeda's_ loss, not only political issues of prime importance, but also the death of anear relative. They refused the proffered refreshment, not withoutsome show of indignation. Verity swallowed a large dose of neatspirit. He thought it would revive him, so, of course, the effect wasinstantaneous. The same quantity of prussic acid could not have killedhim more rapidly than the brandy rallied his scattered forces, and, notbeing a physiologist, he gave the brandy all the credit. 

"Ah!" he said, smacking his lips with some of the old-time relish, "that puts new life into one. An' now, let's get on with the knittin'. I was a bit rattled when this young party steers in an' whacks 'iscock-an'-bull yarn into me 'and. 'Oo ever 'eard of a respectableBritish ship mixin' 'erself up with a South American revolution? Thestory is all moonshine on the face of it. "

"I think otherwise, Mr. Verity, and Mr. Bulmer, I take it, agrees withme, " said the reporter. 

"Wot, " blazed David, into whose mind had darted a notion that dazzledhim by its daring, "d'ye mean to insiniwate that I lent my ship to this'ere Dom Wot's-'is-name? D'ye sit there an' tell me that Jimmie Coke, a skipper who's bin in my employ for sixteen year, would carry on thatsort of fool's business behind 'is owner's back? Go into my clerk'soffice, young man, an' ax Andrews to show up a copy of the ship'smanifest. See w'en an 'ow she was insured. Jot down the names of thefreighters for this run, and skip round to their offices to verify. An' if that don't fill the bill, well, just interview yourself, an' sayif you'd allow your niece, a bonnie lass like my Iris, to take a tripthat might end in 'er bein' blown to bits. It's crool, that's wot itis, reel crool. "

David was not simulating this contemptuous wrath. He actually felt it. His harsh voice cracked when he spoke of Iris, and the excited wordsgushed out in a torrent. 

The reporter glanced at Bulmer, who was watching Verity with a tenseexpectancy that was not to be easily accounted for, since his mannerand speech on entering the room had been so distinctly hostile. 

"The lady referred to was Miss Iris Yorke, then?"

"'Oo else? I've on'y one niece. My trouble is that she went withoutmy permission, in a way of speakin'. 'Ere, you'd better 'ave the fax. She was engaged to my friend, Mr. Bulmer, but, bein' a slip of a girl, an' fond o' romancin', she just put herself aboard the Andromeedawithout sayin' 'with your leave' or 'by your leave. ' She wrote me aletter, w'ich sort of explains the affair. D'you want to see it?"

"If I may. "

"No, " said Bulmer. 

"Yes, " blustered Verity, fully alive now to the immense possibilitiesunderlying the appearance in print of Iris's references to herforthcoming marriage. 

"An' I say 'no, ' an' mean it, " said the older man. "Go slow, David, goslow. I was not comin 'ere as your enemy when I found this paper bein'cried in the streets. It med me mad for a while. But I believe wotyou've said, an' I'm not the man to want my business, or my futurewife's I 'ope, to be chewed over by every Dick, Tom, an' 'Arry inLiverpool. "

The reincarnation of David was a wonderful spectacle, the mostimpressive incident the journalist had ever witnessed, did he but knowits genesis. The metamorphosis was physical as well as mental. Verityburgeoned before his very eyes. 

"Of course, that makes a h-- a tremenjous difference, " said theshipowner. "You 'ave my word for it, an' that is enough for most men. Mr. Andrews 'll give you all the information you want. I'll cable nowto Rio an' Pernambewco, an' see if I can get any straight news from theshippin' 'ouses there. I'll let you know if I 'ear anything, an' youmight do the same by me. "

The reporter gave this promise readily. He scented a possible scandal, and meant to keep in touch with Verity. Meanwhile, he was in need ofthe facts which the managing clerk could supply, so he took himself off. 

Bulmer went to the window and looked out. A drizzle of sleet wasfalling from a gray sky. The atmosphere was heavy. It was a daysingularly appropriate to the evil tidings that had shocked him into afury against the man who had so willfully deceived him. David pickedup the proof slips and reread them. He compared them with theparagraphs in the newspaper brought by Bulmer, and thrown by him on thetable after his first outburst of helpless wrath. They were identicalin wording, of course, but, somehow, their meaning was clearer in theprinted page: and David, despite his uncouth diction, was a clever man. 

He wrinkled his forehead now in analysis of each line. Soon he hit onsomething that puzzled him. 

"Dickey, " he said. 

There was no answer. The old man peering through the window seemed tohave bent and whitened even since he came into the room. 

"Look 'ere, Dickey, " went on David, "this dashed fairy-tale won't holdwater. _You_ know Coke. Is 'e the kind o' man to go bumpin' roundlike a stage 'ero, an' hoisting Union Jacks as the ship sinks? I axyou, is 'e? It's nonsense, stuff an' nonsense. An', if the Andromeedawas scrapped at Fernando Noronha, 'oo were the freebooters thatcollared the island, an' 'ow did this 'ere De Sylva get to Maceio? Areyou listenin'?"

"Yes, " said Bulmer, turning at last, and devouring Verity with hisdeep-set eyes. 

"Well, wot d'ye think of it?"

"Did you send the ship to Fernando Noronha?"

It is needless to place on record the formula of David's denial. Itwas forcible, and served its purpose--that should suffice. 

"Under ordinary conditions she would 'ave passed the island about the31st?" continued Bulmer. 

"Yes. Confound it, 'aven't I bin cablin' there every two days for afortnight or more? B'lieve me or not, Dickey, it cut me to the 'eartto keep you in the dark about Iris. But I begun it, like an ijjit, an'kep' on with it. "

"To sweeten me on account of the new ships, I s'pose?"

"Yes, that's it. No more lyin' for me. I'm sick of it. "

"For the same reason you wanted that letter published?"

"Well--yes. There! You see I'm talkin' straight. "

"So am I. If--if Iris is alive, the partnership goes on. If--she'sdead, it doesn't. "

"D'ye mean it?"

"I always mean wot I say. "

The click of an indicator on the desk showed that Verity's privatetelephone had been switched on from the general office. By sheer forceof routine, David picked up a receiver and placed it to his ear. Thesub-editor of the newspaper whose representative had not been gone fiveminutes asked if he was speaking to Mr. Verity. 

"Yes, " said David, "wot's up now?" and he motioned to Bulmer to use asecond receiver. 

"A cablegram from Pernambuco states specifically that the captain andcrew of the _Andromeda_ fought their way across the island of FernandoNoronha, rescued Dom De Sylva, seized a steam launch, attacked andcaptured the German steamship _Unser Fritz_, and landed the insurgentleader at Maceio. The message goes on to say that the captain's nameis Coke, and that he is accompanied by his daughter. . . . Eh? Whatdid you say? . . . Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm 'ere, or I think I am, " said David with a desperate calmness. "Is that all?"

"All for the present. "

"It doesn't say that Coke is a ravin', tearin', 'owlin' lunatic, doesit?"

"No. Is that your view?"

Bulmer's hand gripped David's wrist. Their eyes met. 

"I was thinkin' that the chap who writes these penny novelette wiresmight 'ave rounded up his yarn in good shape, " said Verity aloud. 

"But there is not the slightest doubt that something of the kind hasoccurred, " said the voice. 

"It's a put-up job!" roared David. "Them bloomin' Portygees 'ave sunkmy ship, an' they're whackin' in their flam now so as to score firstblow. A year-old baby 'ud see that if 'is father was a lawyer. "

The sub-editor laughed. 

"Well, I'll ring you up again when the next message comes through, " hesaid. 

But to Bulmer, David said savagely:

"Wot's bitten Coke? 'E must 'ave gone stark, starin' mad. "

"Iris is alive!" murmured Bulmer. 

"Nice mess she med of things w'en she slung 'er 'ook from Linden'Ouse, " grunted her uncle. 

"I don't blame 'er. She meant no 'arm. She's on'y a bit of a lass, w'en all is said an' done. Mebbe it's my fault, or yours, or the faultof both of us. An' now, David, I'll tell you wot I 'ad in me mind incomin' 'ere this morning. You're hard up. You don't know where toturn for a penny. If you're agreeable, I'll put a trustworthy man inthis office an' give 'im full powers to pull your affairs straight. Mind you, I'm doin' this for Iris, not for you. An' now that we knowwot's 'appening in South America, you an' I will go out there and lookinto things. A mail steamer will take us there in sixteen days, an'before we sail we can work the cables a bit so as to stop Iris fromstartin' for 'ome before we arrive. The trip will do us good, an'we'll be away from the gossip of Bootle. Are you game? Well, gimmeyour 'and on it. "

[Illustration: "Well, gimme your 'and on it"]

CHAPTER XII

THE LURE OF GOLD

"Philip, I want to tell you something. "

"Something pleasant?"

"No. "

"Then why tell me?"

"Because, unhappily, it must be told. I hope you will forgive me, though I shall never forgive myself. Oh, my dear, my dear, why did weever meet? And what am I to say? I--well, I have promised to marryanother man. "

"Disgraceful!" said Philip. 

Though Iris's faltered confession might fairly be regarded asastounding, Philip was unmoved. The German captain had given him acigar, and he was examining it with a suspicion that was pardonableafter the first few whiffs. 

"Philip dear, this is quite serious, " said Iris, momentarilywithdrawing her wistful gaze from the far-away line where sapphire seaand amber sky met in harmony. Northeastern Brazil is a favored clime. Bad weather is there a mere link, as it were, between unbroken weeks ofbrilliant sunshine, when nature lolls in the warmth and stirs herselfonly at night under the moon and the stars. That dingy trader, the_Unser Fritz_, ostensibly carrying wool and guano from the Argentine toHamburg, was now swinging west at less than half speed over the longrollers which alone bore testimony to the recent gale. Already a deeptint of crimson haze over the western horizon was eloquent, in nature'sspeech, of land ahead. At her present pace, the _Unser Fritz_ wouldenter the harbor at Pernambuco on the following morning. 

Iris, her troubled face resting on her hands, her elbows propped on therails of the poop on the port side, looked at Philip with an intensesadness that was seemingly lost on him. His doubts concerning thecigar had grown into a certainty. He cast it into the sea. 

"I really mean what I say, " she continued in a low voice that vibratedwith emotion, for her obvious distress was enhanced by his evidentbelief that she was jesting. "I have given my word--writtenit--entered into a most solemn obligation. Somehow, the prospect ofreaching a civilized place to-morrow induces a more ordered state ofmind than has been possible since--since the _Andromeda_ was lost. "

"Who is he?" demanded Hozier darkly. "Coke is married. So is Watts. Dom Corria has other fish to fry than to dream of committing bigamy. Of course, I am well aware that you have been flirting outrageouslywith San Benavides----"

"Please don't make my duty harder for me, " pleaded Iris. "Before I metyou, before we spoke to each other that first day at Liverpool, I hadpromised to marry Mr. Bulmer, an old friend of my uncle's----"

"Oh, --he? . . . I am sorry for Mr. Bulmer, but it can't be done, "interrupted Hozier. 

"Philip, you do not understand. I--I cared for nobody then . . . Andmy uncle said he was in danger of bankruptcy . . . And Mr. Bulmerundertook to help him if I would consent. . . . "

"Yes, " agreed Philip, with an air of pleasant detachment, "I see. Youare in a first-rate fix. I was always prepared for that. Coke told meabout Bulmer--warned me off, so to speak. I forgot his claims at oddtimes, just for a minute or so, but he is a real bugbear--a sort ofmatrimonial bogey-man. If all goes well, and we enter Pernambucowithout being fired at, you will be handed over to the British Consul, and he will send a rousing telegram about you to England. Bulmer, ofcourse, will cause a rare stir at home. Who wouldn't? No wonder youare scared! It seems to me that there is only one safe line of actionleft open. "

Iris did not respond to his raillery. She was despondent, nervous, uncertain of her own strength, afraid of the hurricane of publicitythat would shortly swoop down on her. 

"I wish you would realize how I feel in this matter, " she said, with apersistence that was at least creditable to her honesty of purpose. "Awoman's word should be held as sacred as a man's, Philip. "

He turned and met her eyes. There was a tender smile on his lips. 

"So you really believe you will be compelled to marry Mr. Bulmer?" hecried. 

"Oh, don't be horrid!" she almost sobbed. "I cuc--cuc--can't help it. "

"I have given some thought to the problem myself, " he said, for, intruth, he was beginning to be alarmed by her tenacity, thoughdetermined not to let her perceive his changed mood. "Curiouslyenough, I was thinking more of your dilemma than of the signals when wewere overhauled by the _Sao Geronimo_ this morning. Odd, isn't it, howthings pop into one's mind at the most unexpected moments? While I wascoding our explanation that we were putting into Pernambuco forrepairs, and that no steam yacht had been sighted between here and theRiver Plate, I was really trying to imagine what the cruiser's peoplewould have said if I had told them the actual truth. "

His apparent gravity drew the girl's thoughts for an instant fromcontemplating her own unhappiness. 

"How could you have done that?" she asked. "We are going there to suitSenhor De Sylva's ends. We have suffered so much already for his sakethat we could hardly betray him now. "

Hozier spread wide his hands with a fine affectation of amazement. 

"I wasn't talking about De Sylva, " he cried. "My remarks were strictlyconfined to the question of your marriage. I know you far too well, Iris, to permit you to go back to Bootle to be lectured and browbeatenby your uncle. I have never seen him, but, from all accounts, he is arather remarkable person. He likes to have his own way, irrespectiveof other folks' feelings. I am a good guesser, Iris. I have a prettyfair notion why Coke meant to leave our poor ship's bones on a SouthAmerican reef. I appreciate exactly how well it would serve Mr. DavidVerity's interests if his niece married a wealthy old party likeBulmer. By the way how old is Bulmer?"

"Nearly seventy. "

Even Iris herself smiled then, though her tremulous mirth threatened todissolve in tears. 

"Ah, that's a pity, " said Hozier. 

"It is very unkind of you to treat me in this manner, " she protested. 

"But I am trying to help you. I say it is a pity that Bulmer should bea patriarch, because his only hope of marrying you is that I shall diefirst. Even then he must be prepared to espouse my widow. By the way, is it disrespectful to describe him as a patriarch? Isn't there someproverb about three score years and ten?"

"Philip, if only you would appreciate my dreadful position----"

"I do. It ought to be ended. The first parson we meet shall becommandeered. Don't you see, dear, we really must get married atPernambuco? That is what I wanted to signal to the cruiser: 'The_Unser Fritz_ is taking a happy couple to church. ' Wouldn't that havebeen a surprise?"

Iris clenched her little hands in despair. Why did he not understandher misery? Though she was unwavering in her resolution to keep faithwith the man who had twitted her with taking all and giving nothing inreturn, she could not wholly restrain the tumult in her veins. Marriedin Pernambuco! Ah, if only that were possible! Yet she did not flinchfrom the lover-like scrutiny with which Philip now favored her. 

"I am sure we would be happy together, " she said, with a patheticconfidence that tempted him strongly to take her in his arms and kissaway her fears. "But we must be brave, Philip dear, brave in thepeaceful hours as in those which call for another sort of courage. Last night we lived in a different world. We looked at death, you andI together, not once but many times, and you, at least, kept him atbay. But that is past. To-day we are going back to the commonplace. We must forget what happened in the land of dreams. I will never loveany man but you, Philip; yet--I cannot marry you. "

"You will marry me--in Pernambuco. "

"I will not because I may not. Oh, spare me any more of this! Icannot bear it. Have pity, dear!"

"Iris, let us at least look at the position calmly. Do you reallythink that fate's own decree should be set aside merely to keep DavidVerity out of the Bankruptcy Court?"

"I have given my promise, and those two men are certain I will keep it. "

"Ah, they shall release you. What then?"

"You do not know my uncle, or Mr. Bulmer. Money is their god. Theywould tell you that money can control fate. We, you and I, mightdespise their creed, but how am I to shirk the claims of gratitude? Iowe everything to my uncle. He rescued my mother and me from direpoverty. He gave us freely of his abundance. Would you have me failhim now that he seeks my aid? Ah, me! If only I had never come onthis mad voyage! But it is too late to think of that now. Perhaps--ifI had not promised--I might steel my heart against him--but, Philip, you would never think highly of me again if I were so ready to rend thehand that fed me. We have had our hour, dear. Its memory will neverleave me. I shall think of you, dream of you, when, it may be, someother girl--oh, no, I do not mean that! Philip, don't be angry with meto-day. You are wringing my heart!"

It was in Hozier's mind to scoff in no measured terms at the absurdtheory that he should renounce his oft-won bride because a pair ofelderly gentlemen in Bootle had made a bargain in which she was stakedagainst so many bags of gold. But pity for her suffering joined forceswith a fine certainty that fortune would not play such a scurvy trickas to rob him of his divinity after leading him through an Inferno tothe very gate of Paradise. For that is how he regarded the perils ofFernando Noronha. He was young, and the ethics of youth cling toromance. It seemed only right and just that he should have been provedworthy of Iris ere he gained the heaven of her love. There might beportals yet unseen, with guardian furies waiting to entrap him, and hewould brave them all for her dear sake. But his very soul rebelledagainst the notion that he had become her chosen knight merely togratify the unholy ardor of some decrepit millionaire. He laughedsavagely at the fantasy, and his protest burst into words strange onhis lips. 

"I shall never give you up to any other man, " he said. "I have won youby the sword, and, please God, I shall keep you against all claimants. Twenty-two men sailed out of Liverpool on board the Andromeda, and itwas given to me among the twenty-two that I should pluck you fromdarkness into light. I had only seen you that day on the wharf, yet Iwas thinking of you constantly, little dreaming that you were within afew yards of me all the time. I was planning some means of meeting youagain when our surly-tempered skipper bade me burst in the door thatkept you from me. And that is what I have been doing ever since, Iris--breaking down barriers, smashing them, whether they were fleshand blood or nature's own obstacles, so that I might not lose you. Give you up! Not while I live! Why, you yourself dragged me away fromcertain death when I was lying unconscious on the _Andromeda's_ deck. A second time, you saved not me alone but the ten others who are leftout of the twenty-two, by bringing us back to Grand-père in the hourthat our escape seemed to be assured had we put out to sea. We aremore than quits, dear heart, when we strike a balance of mutualservice. We are bound by a tie of comradeship that is denied to most. And who shall sever it? The man who gains three times the worth of hisship by reason of the very dangers we have shared! To state such a madproposition is to answer it. Who is he that he should sunder thosewhom God has joined together? And what other man and woman nowbreathing can lay better claim than we to have been joined by theAlmighty?"

The strange exigencies of their lives during the past two days hadordained that this should be Philip's first avowal of his feelings. Under the stress of overpowering impulse he had clasped Iris to hisheart when they were parting on the island. In obedience to a strongerlaw than any hitherto revealed to her innocent consciousness the girlhad flown to his arms when he came to the hut. And that was all theirlove-making, two blissful moments of delirium wrenched from a time of agaunt tragedy, and followed by a few hours of self-negation. Yet theysufficed--to the man--and the woman is never too ready to count thecost when her heart declares its passion. 

But the morrow was not to be denied. Its bitter awakening had come. In the very agony of a sublime withdrawal Iris realized what manner ofman this was whom she had determined to thrust aside so that she mightkeep her troth. She dared not look at him. She could not compel herquivering lips to frame a word of excuse or reiterated resolve. With aheart-breaking cry of sheer anguish she fled from him, running awayalong the deck with the uncertain steps of some sorely strickencreature of the wild. 

He did not try to restrain her. Heedless of the perplexed scowl withwhich Coke was watching him from the bridge, he looked after her untilshe vanished in the cabin which had been vacated for her use by thechief engineer of the vessel. Even her manifest distress gave him asense of riotous joy that was hardly distinguishable from the keenestspiritual suffering. 

"Give you up!" he muttered again. "No, Iris, not if Satan broughtevery dead Verity to aid the living one in his demand. "

Coke, to whom tact was anathema, chose that unhappy instant to summonhim to take charge of the ship. The German master and crew had notcaused trouble to their conquerors after the first short struggle. They washed their hands of responsibility, professed to be satisfiedwith the written indemnity and promise of reward given by De Sylva, andotherwise placed the resources of the vessel entirely at his disposal. A more peaceable set of men never existed. Though they numberedsixteen, three more than the usurpers, it was quite certain that thethought of further resistance never entered their minds. If anything, they hailed the adventure with decorous hilarity. It formed a welcomebreak in the monotony of their drab lives. Of course, they wereutterly incredulous as to the ability of a scarecrow like Dom Corria tofulfil his financial pledges. Therein they erred. He was really avery rich man, having followed the illustrious example set bygenerations of South American Presidents in accumulating a finecollection of gilt-edged scrip during his tenure of office, which saidscrip was safely lodged in London, Paris, and New York. But the worldalways refuses to associate rags with affluence, and these worthyTeutons regarded De Sylva and Coke as the leaders of a gang ofdangerous lunatics who should be humored in every possible way until aport was reached. 

It was precisely that question of a port which had engaged Coke inearnest consultation with De Sylva and San Benavides on the bridgewhile Iris and Hozier were lacerating each other's feelings on the poop. 

Apparently, the point was settled when Hozier joined the triumvirate. Coke glanced at the compass, and placed the engine-room telegraph at"Full Speed Ahead, " for the _Unser Fritz_ had once been a British ship, and still retained her English appliances. 

"Keep 'er edgin' south a bit, " said he to Hozier. "There's no knowin'w'en that crimson cruiser will show up again, but we must try and steala knot or two afore sundown. "

The order roused Hozier from his stupor of wrathful bewilderment. 

"Why south?" he asked. "If anything, Pernambuco lies north of ourpresent course. "

"We're givin' Pernambuco the go-by. It's Maceio for us, quick as wecan get there. "

Hozier was in no humor for conciliatory methods. He turned on hisheel, and walked straight to where De Sylva was leaning against therails. 

"Captain Coke tells me that we are not making for Pernambuco, " he said, meeting the older man's penetrating gaze with a glance as firm andself-contained. 

"That is what we have arranged, " said Dom Corria. 

"It does not seem to have occurred to you that there is one person onboard this ship whose interests are vastly more important than yours, senhor. "

"Meaning Miss Yorke?" asked the other, who did not require to looktwice at this stern-visaged man to grasp the futility of any words butthe plainest. 

"Yes. "

"She will be safer at Maceio than at Pernambuco. Our only danger ateither place will be encountered at the actual moment of landing. AtMaceio there is practically no risk of finding a warship in the harbor. That is why we are going there. "

"And not because you are more likely to find adherents there?"

"It is a much smaller town than Pernambuco, and my strength liesoutside the large cities, I admit. But there can be no question as toour wisdom in preferring Maceio, even where the young lady's well-beingis concerned. "

"I think differently. At Maceio there are few, if any, Europeans. AtPernambuco the large English-speaking community will protect her, nomatter what President is in power. I must ask you to reconsider yourplan. Land Miss Yorke and me at Pernambuco, and then betake yourselfand those who follow you where you will. "

Coke jerked himself into the dispute. 

"'Ere, wot's wrong now?" he demanded angrily. "Since w'en 'as a secondofficer begun to fix the ship's course?"

"I am not your second officer, nor are you my commander, " said Philip. "At present we are fellow-pirates, or, at best, running the gravestrisk of being regarded as pirates by any court of law. I don't care acent personally what port we make, but I do care most emphatically forMiss Yorke's safety. "

"We've argied the pros an' cons, an' it's to be Maceio, " growled Coke. 

Dom Corria's precise tones broke in on what threatened to develop intoa serious dispute. 

"You would have been asked to join in the discussion, if, apparently, you were not better engaged at the moment, Mr. Hozier, " he said. "Iassure you, on my honor, that there are many reasons in favor of Maceioeven from the exclusive point of view of Miss Yorke's immediate future. She will be well cared for. I promise to make that my firstconsideration. The army is mainly for me, and Senhor San Benavides'sregiment is stationed at Maceio. The navy, on the other hand, supportsDom Miguel Barraca, who supplanted me, and we shall surely meet acruiser or gunboat at Pernambuco. You see, therefore, that commonprudence----"

"I see that, whether willing or not, we are to be made the tools ofyour ambition, " interrupted Hozier curtly. "It is also fairly evidentthat I am the only man of the _Andromeda's_ company whom you have notbribed to obey you. Well, be warned now by me. If circumstances failto justify your change of route, I shall make it my business to settleat least one revolution in Brazil by cracking your skull. "

San Benavides, hearing the names of the two ports, understood exactlywhy the young Englishman was making such a strenuous protest. He movednearer, laying an ostentatious hand on the sword that clankedeverlastingly at his heels. He had never been taught, it seemed, thata man who can use his fists commands a readier weapon than a sword inits scabbard. Hozier eyed him. There was no love lost between them. For a fraction of a second San Benavides was in a position of realperil. 

Then Dom Corria said coldly:

"No interference, I pray you, Senhor Adjudante. Kindly withdraw. "

His tone was eminently official. San Benavides saluted and steppedback. The dark scar on De Sylva's forehead had grown a shade lighter, but there was no other visible sign of anger in his face, and hisluminous eyes peered steadily into Hozier's. 

"Let me understand!" he said. "You hold my life as forfeit if anymischance befalls Miss Yorke?"

"Yes. "

"I accept that. Of course, you no longer challenge my direction ofaffairs?"

"I am no match for you in argument, senhor, but I do want you tobelieve that I shall keep my part of the compact. "

Coke, familiar with De Sylva's resources as a debater, and by no meansunwilling to see Hozier "taken down a peg, " as he phrased it; eager, too, to witness the Brazilian officer's discomfiture if the second mate"handed it to him, " thought it was time to assert himself. 

"I'm goin' to 'ave a nap, " he announced. "Either you or Watts musttake 'old. W'ich is it to be?"

"No need to ask Mr. Hozier any such question, " said the suave DomCorria. "You can trust him implicitly. He is with us now--to thedeath. Captain San Benavides, a word with you. "

"South a bit, " repeated the skipper. "Call me at two bells in thesecond dog. "

He was turning to leave the bridge with the Brazilians when a cheeryvoice came from a gangway beneath. 

"Yah, yah, mine frent--that's the proper lubricant. I wouldn't giveyou tuppence a dozen for your bloomin' lager. Well, just a freshener. Thanks. Ik danky shun!"

"You spik Tcherman vare goot, " was the reply. 

"Talk a little of all sorts. Used to sing a Jarman song once. Whatwas that you was a-hummin' in your cabin? Nice chune. I've a musicalear meself. "

Someone sang a verse in a subdued baritone, tremulous with sentiment. The melody was haunting, the words almost pathetic under the conditionsof life on board the disheveled _Unser Fritz_. They told of Vienna, the city beloved of its sons. 

 Es gibt nur eine Kaiser Stadt, Es gibt nur eine Wien. 

"Shake, me boy!" cried the enraptured Watts to the ship's captain. "Ido'n' know wot it's all about, but it's reel fine. Something to dowith a gal, I expect. Well, 'ere's one of the same kidney:

 I know a maiden fair to see, Take care! She can both false and friendly be, Beware, beware! Trust her not, She is fooling thee!"

Mr. Watts was both charmed and surprised when the friendly skipperjoined in the concluding lines in his own language. But his pleasurewas short-lived. Coke's inflamed visage glowered into the mess room. 

"Sink me if you ain't a daisy!" he roared, pouncing on a three-quartersfilled bottle of rum. "D'you fancy we're goin' to land you at Maceiocryin' drunk? No, sir, not this time. Over it goes, an' if you ain'tdam careful, over you go after it!"

Watts could have wept without the artificial stimulus of the rum. Tosee good liquor slung into the sea in that fashion--well, it was a sin, that's wot it was! But Coke's furious eye quelled him; and revel andsong ceased. 

Above, on the bridge, Hozier smiled sourly at the squall which had sosuddenly beset the fair argosy of the convivial-minded Watts. He triedto invest the incident with an excess of humor. Any excuse would serveto still certain disquieting doubts that were springing into alarmingactivity. Had he gone the best way to work in allaying Iris'sconscience-stricken qualms? Was he justified in adopting such a boldline with De Sylva? Could it be possible--no, he refused to harbor anymean thought of Iris. She loved him, he was sure; his love for her wasat once a torment and an excruciating bliss, and both of these wearingsensations sadly detracted from the efficiency of the officer of thewatch. So our distracted Philip pulled himself up sharply, paced backand forth between port and starboard, and surveyed ship, binnacle, andhorizon with alert vigilance. 

On the fore-deck groups of sailors and firemen belonging to bothvessels were fraternizing. There could be little room for speculationas to the subject of their broken talk. It was of De Sylva, ofBrazil's new dictator, of the gold he would control when he becamePresident again. The slow-moving Teutonic mind was beginning toassimilate the notion that there was money in this escapade. That thetatterdemalion then closeted with the _Unser Fritz's_ captain couldobtain a certified check for a million sterling, and twenty-five timesas many millions of francs, and even then remain a man of means, wasunbelievable; but if he regained power, that was different. _Ende gut, alles gut_. There might be pickings in it. 

Soon after sunset Iris reappeared. She walked on the after deck withSan Benavides, and seemed to be listening with great attention tosomething he was telling her. Hozier was often compelled to look thatway in order to make certain that the _Sao Geronimo_ was notoverhauling the ship in one of her circling flights over the widechannel. He wondered what in the world San Benavides was saying thathis chatter should be so interesting, and he acknowledged with a pangthat Iris was deliberately avoiding his own occasional glances in herdirection. 

There is no saying what would have happened had he known that theBrazilian was relating the scene that took place on the bridge, suppressing its prime motive, and twisting it greatly to Hozier'sdetriment, though with an adroit touch that deprived Iris of any powerto resent his words. Indeed, she read her own meaning into Philip'sanxiety to reach Pernambuco, whereas San Benavides was striving toinstill the belief that she would find excellent friends at Maceio. She was far too loyal-hearted to suspect Philip of a hidden purpose inurging that the voyage should end in one port rather than another. Butshe could not forget that he said repeatedly they would be married inPernambuco. Indeed, the promise had a glamour of its own, even thoughit could never be fulfilled. More than once her cheeks glowed with arush of color that San Benavides attributed to his own delightfulpersonality, and, when she paled again, his voice sank to a deeplysympathetic note. 

And here came Watts, rejuvenated, having imbibed many pints of thedespised lager, and humming gaily:

 Beware, Beware! Trust her not! She is foo-oo-ooling thee!

Confound the fellow. Why could he not chant the piratical doggerelthat Coke abhorred? That, at least, would have been more appropriateto present surroundings? But would it? Ah, Philip felt a twinge then. "Touché!" chortled some unseen imp who plied a venomous rapier. Thankgoodness, a sailor was standing by the ship's bell, with his hand on abit of cord tied to the clapper. It would soon be seven o'clock. Eventhe companionship of the uncouth skipper was preferable to thisbrooding solitariness. 

When Hozier was relieved, and summoned to a meal in the saloon withNorrie and some of the ship's own officers, Iris was nowhere visible. He went straight to her cabin, and knocked. 

"Who is it?" she asked. 

"I, Philip. Will you be on deck in a quarter of an hour?"

"No. "

"But this time _I_ want to tell _you_ something. "

"Philip, dear, I am weary. I must rest--and--I dare not meet you. "

"Dare not?"

"I am afraid of myself. Please leave me. "

He caught the sob in her voice, and it unmanned him; he stalked off, raging. He remembered how the fiend, in Gounod's incomparable opera, whispered in the lover's ear: "Thou fool, wait for night and the moon!"and he was wroth with himself for the memory. While off duty he keptstrict watch and ward over the gangway in which Iris's cabin wassituated. It was useless; she remained hidden. 

The _Unser Fritz_ was now heading southwest, and "reeling off her tenknots an hour like clockwork, " as Norrie put it. The Recife, thatenormous barrier reef which blockades hundreds of miles of theBrazilian coast, caused no anxiety to Coke. He was well acquaintedwith these waters, and he held on stoutly until the occulting light ofMaceio showed low over the sea straight ahead. It was then aftermidnight, and the land was still ten miles distant, but the shippromptly resumed her role of lame duck, lest a prowling gunboat met andinterrogated her. 

As Coke had told Iris she might expect to be ashore about two o'clock, she waited until half-past one ere coming on deck. Despite herunalterable decision to abide by the hideous compact entered into withher uncle and Bulmer, her first thought now was to find Hozier. Thoughthe sky was radiant with stars, a slight haze on the surface of the seashrouded the ship's decks and passages in an uncanny darkness. Coke'sorders forbade the display of any lights whatsoever, except those inthe engine-room and the three essential lamps carried externally. Sothe _Unser Fritz_ was gloomy, and the plash of the sea against her wornplates had an ominous sound, while the glittering white eye of thelighthouse winked evilly across the black plain in front. 

In a word Iris was thoroughly wretched, and not a little disturbed bythe near prospect of landing in a foreign country, which would probablybe plunged into civil war by the mere advent of De Sylva. It needhardly be said that, under these circumstances, Hozier was the one manin whose company she would feel reasonably safe. But she could not seehim anywhere. Coke and Watts, with the Brazilians and a couple ofGermans, were on the bridge, but Hozier was not to be found. 

At last she hailed one of the _Andromeda's_ men whom she met in agangway. 

"Mr. Hozier, miss?" said he. "Oh, he's forrard, right up in the bows, keepin' a lookout. This is a ticklish place to enter without a pilot, an' we've passed two already. "

This information added to her distress. She ought not to go to him. Full well she knew that her presence might distract him from anall-important task. So she sat forlornly on the fore-hatch, waitingthere until he might leave his post, reviewing all the bizarreprocession of events since she climbed an elm-tree in the garden ofLinden House on a Sunday afternoon now so remote that it seemed to bethe very beginning of life. The adventures to which that elm-treeconducted her were oddly reminiscent of the story of Jack and theBeanstalk. For once, the true had outrivaled the fabulous. 

The steamer crept on lazily, and Iris fancied the hour must be nearerfive o'clock than two when she heard Hozier's voice ring out clearly:

"Buoy on the port bow!"

There was a movement among the dim figures on the bridge. A minutelater Hozier cried again:

"Buoy on the starboard bow!"

She understood then that they were in a marked channel. Already theroad was narrowing. Soon they would be ashore. At last Hozier came. He saw her as he jumped down from the forecastle deck. 

"Why are you here, Iris?" was all he said. She looked so bowed, sohumbled, that he could not find it in his heart to reproach her forhaving avoided him earlier. 

"I wanted to be near you, " she whispered. "I--I am frightened, Philip. I am terrified by the unknown. Somehow, on the rock our dangers weremeasurable. Here, we shall soon be swallowed up among a whole lot ofpeople. "

They heard Coke's gruff order to the watch to clear the falls of thejolly-boat. The _Unser Fritz_ was going dead slow. On the starboardside were the lights of a large town, but the opposite shore was somberand vague. 

"Are we going to land at once, in a small boat?" said Iris timidly. 

"I fancy there is a new move on foot. A gunboat is moored half a miledown stream. You missed her because your back was turned. She hassteam up, and could slip her cables in a minute. They saw her from thebridge, of course, but I did not report her, as there was a chance thatmy hail might be heard, and we came in so confidently that we arelooked on as a local trader. Come, let us buy a programme. "

He took her by the arm with that masterful gentleness that is socomforting to a woman when danger is rife. Even his jesting allusionto their theatrical arrival in port was cheering. They reached thebridge. Some sailors were lowering a boat as quietly as possible. 

Dom Corria approached with outstretched hand. 

"Good-by, Miss Yorke, " he said. "I am leaving you for a few hours, notlonger. When next we meet I ought to have a sure grip of thePresidential ladder, and I shall climb quickly. Won't you wish meluck?"

"I wish you all good fortune, Dom Corria, " said Iris. "May your planssucceed without bloodshed!"

"Ah, this is South America, remember. Our conflicts are usually shortand fierce. _Au revoir_, Mr. Hozier. By daybreak we shall be betterfriends. "

San Benavides also bade them farewell, with an easy grace not whollydevoid of melodramatic pathos. The dandy and the man of rags climbeddown a rope ladder, the boat fell away from the ship's side, and thenight took them. 

"What did he mean by saying you would be 'better friends'?" whisperedthe girl. "Have you quarreled?"

"We had a small dispute as to the wisdom of landing you here, " saidPhilip. "Perhaps I was wrong. He is a clever man, and he surely knowshis own country. "

"Mr. Hozier!" cried Coke. 

"Yes, sir. "

"Is all clear forrard to let go anchor?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Give her thirty. You go and see to it, will you?"

Hozier made off at a run. 

Iris recalled the last time she heard similar words. She shuddered. Would that placid foreshore blaze out into a roar of artillery, and theworn-out _Unser Fritz_, like the worn-out _Andromeda_, stagger andlurch into a watery grave. 

But the only noise that jarred the peaceful night was the rattle of thecable and winch. The ship fell away a few feet, and was held. Therewas no moving light on the river. Not even a police boat or Customslaunch had put off. Maceio was asleep; it was quite unprepared for thehonor of a Presidential visit. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE NEW ERA

A swaggering officer and a man habited like a beggar landed unobservedat a coal wharf, moored a ship's boat to a bolt, and passed swiftlythrough a silent town till they reached the closed gates of an infantrybarrack perched on a hill that rose steeply above the clustering roofsof Maceio. 

Though the seeming mendicant limped slightly, his superior statureenabled him to keep pace with the officer. The pair neither lagged norhesitated. The officer knocked loudly on a small door inset in the biggates. After some delay it was opened. A sentry challenged. 

"Capitão San Benavides, " announced the officer, and the man stood toattention. 

"Enter, my friend, " said San Benavides to his ragged companion. Thelatter stepped within; the wicket was locked, and the click of the boltwas suggestive of the rattle of the dice with which Dom Corria De Sylvawas throwing a main with fortune. Perhaps some thought of the kindoccurred to him, but he was calm as if he were so poor that he hadnaught more to lose. 

"Who is the officer of the guard?" San Benavides asked the soldier. 

"Senhor Tenente [Lieutenant] Regis de Pereira, senhor capitão. "

"Tell him, with my compliments, that I shall be glad to meet him at thecolonel's quarters in fifteen minutes. "

The queerly-assorted pair moved off across the barrack square. Thesentry looked after them. 

"My excellent captain seems to have been brawling, " he grinned. "Butwhat of the _mendigo_?"

What, indeed? A most pertinent question for Brazil, and one that wouldbe loudly answered. 

The colonel's house was in darkness, yet San Benavides rappedimperatively. An upper window was raised. A voice was heard, usingprofane language. A head appeared. Its owner cried, "Who isit?"--with additions. 

"San Benavides. "

"Christo! And the other?"

"One whom you expect. "

The head popped in. Soon there was a light on the ground floor. Thedoor opened. A very stout man, barefooted, who had struggled into apair of abnormally tight riding-breeches, faced them. 

"Can it be possible?" he exclaimed, striking an attitude. 

Dom Corria spoke not a word. He knew the value of effect, and couldbide his time. The three passed into a lighted apartment. De Sylvaplaced himself under a chandelier, and took off a frayed straw hatwhich he had borrowed from someone on board the _Unser Fritz_. Thecolonel, a grotesque figure in his present _deshabillé_, bowed lowbefore him. 

"My President!--I salute you, " he murmured. 

"Thank you, General, " said Dom Corria, smiling graciously. "I knew Icould depend on you. How soon can you muster the regiment?"

"In half an hour, Excellency. "

"See that there is plenty of ammunition for the machine guns. What ofthe artillery?"

"The three batteries stationed here are with us heart and soul. "

"Colonel San Benavides, as chief of the staff, is acquainted with everydetail. You, General, will assume command of the Army of Liberation. Some trunks were sent to you from Paris, I believe?"

"They are in the room prepared for your Excellency. "

"Let me go there at once and change my clothing. I must appear beforethe troops as their President, not as a jail-bird. For the moment Ileave everything to you and San Benavides. Let Senhor Pondillo besummoned. He will attend to the civil side of affairs. You have myunqualified approval of the military scheme drawn up by you and myother friends. There is one thing--a gunboat lies in the harbor. Isshe the _Andorinha_?"

The newly-promoted general smote his huge stomach with bothhands--"beating the drum, " he called it--and the rat-tat signifiedinstant readiness for action. 

"The guns will soon scare that bird, " he exclaimed. As _Andorinha_means "swallow" in English there was some point to the remark. Nor washe making a vain boast. The most astounding feature of everyrevolution in a South American republic is the alacrity with which thearmy will fire on the navy, _et vice versâ_. The two services seem tobe everlastingly at feud. If politicians fail to engineer a quarrel, the soldiers and sailors will indulge in one on their own account. 

It was so now at Maceio. Dawn was about to peep up over the sea whentwelve guns lumbered through the narrow streets, waking many startledcitizens. A few daring souls, who guessed what had happened, rushedoff on horseback or bicycle to remote telegraph offices. Theseadventurers were too late. Every railway station and post-officewithin twenty miles was already held by troops. Revolts are conductedscientifically in that region. Their stage management is perfect, andthe cumbrous methods of effete civilizations might well take note ofthe speed, thoroughness, and efficiency with which a change ofgovernment is effected. 

For instance, what could be more admirable than the scaring of the birdby General Russo? He drew up his three batteries on the wharf oppositethe unsuspecting _Andorinha_, and endeavored to plant twelve shells inthe locality of her engine-room without the least hesitation. Therewas no thought of demanding her surrender, or any quixotic nonsense ofthat sort. In the first place, no man would act as herald, since hewould be shot or stabbed the instant his errand became known; in thesecond, as Hozier had explained to Iris, the gunboat could slip hercable very quickly, and Russo's artillerists might miss a moving object. 

As it was, every gun scored, though the elevation was rather high. Theshells made a sad mess of the superstructure, but left the enginesintact. The sailors, on their part, knew exactly what had happened. Every man who escaped death or serious injury from the burstingmissiles ran to his post. A wire hawser and mooring rope were severedwith axes, the screw revolved, and the _Andorinha_ was in motion. Though winged, she still could fly. The second salvo of projectileswas less damaging; again the gunners failed to reach the warship'svitals. Her commander got his own armament into action, and managed todemolish a warehouse and a grain elevator. Then he made off down thecoast toward Rio de Janeiro. 

The sudden uproar stirred Maceio from roof to basement. Itsinhabitants poured into the Plaza. Every man vied with his neighbor inyelling: "The revolution is here! _Viva Dom Corria_! _Abajo SãoPaulo_!"

That last cry explained a good deal. The State of São Paulo had longmaintained a "corner" in Brazilian Presidents. De Sylva, a native ofAlagoas, was the first to break down the monopoly. Hence the cabalagainst him; hence, too, the readiness of Maceio, together with many ofthe smaller ports and the whole of the vast interior, to espouse hiscause. 

For the purposes of this story, which is mainly concerned with thelives and fortunes of a few insignificant people unknown to history, itis not necessary to follow in detail the trumpetings, proclamations, carousals, and arrests that followed Dom Corria's first success. It isa truism that in events of international importance the very names ofthe chief actors ofttimes go unrecorded. Future generations will ask, perhaps:--Who blew up the _Maine_? Who persuaded the Tsar to break hisword anent Port Arthur? Who told Paul Kruger that the Continent ofEurope would support the Boers against Great Britain? Such instancescould be multiplied indefinitely, and the rule held good now in Brazil. 

If any polite Pernambucano, Maceio-ite, or merchant of Bahia wereinformed that President De Sylva's raid was alone rendered possible bythe help of a truculent British master-mariner and a dozen or so of hishard-bitten crew, he (the said Brasileiro) might be skeptical, or, atbest, indifferent. But let the name of some puppet politician hailingfrom São Paulo be mentioned, and his eyes would flash with angryrecognition; yet the _Andromeda's_ small contingent achieved more thana whole army of conspirators. 

The one incident, then, of a political nature, in which the victors ofthe tussle on Fernando Noronha were publicly concerned, was the outcomeof a message cabled by Dom Corria while the smoke of Russo's cannonstill clung about the quay. 

It was written in German, addressed to a Hamburg shipping firm, and ranas follows: "Have sold _Unser Fritz_ to Senhor Pondillo of this port asfrom September 1st, for 175, 000 marks. If approved, cableconfirmation, and draw on Paris branch Deutsche Bank at sight. FranzSchmidt, care German Consul, Maceio. "

This harmless commercial item was read by many officials hostile to DeSylva, yet it evoked no comment. Its first real effect was observablein the counting-house of the Hamburg owners. There it was believedthat Captain Schmidt had either become a lunatic himself or was intouch with a rich one. Schmidt was so well known to them that theyacted on the latter hypothesis. They cabled him their heartycommendation, "drew" on the Paris bank by the next post, and awaiteddevelopments. To their profound amazement, the money was paid. Asthey had obtained 8, 750 pounds for a vessel worth about one-quarter ofthe sum, they had good reason to be satisfied. It mattered not a jotto them that the sale was made "as from September 1st, " or any otherdate. They signed the desired quittance, cabled Schmidt again to askif Senhor Pondillo was in need of other ships of the _Unser Fritz_class, and the members of the firm indulged that evening in the bestdinner that the tip-top restaurant of Hamburg could supply. 

They were puzzled next day by certain statements in the newspapers, andwere called on to explain to a number of journalists that the ship hadleft their ownership. She was at Maceio. Where was Maceio? Somewherein South America. 

"_Es ist nicht von Bedeutung_, " said the senior partner to hisassociates. "Schmidt will write full particulars; when all is said anddone, we have the money. "

Yet it did matter very greatly, as shall be seen. Here, again, was aninstance of an humble individual becoming a cog in the wheel of worldpolitics. Within less than a month Schmidt was vituperated by half thechancelleries of Europe. A newspaper war raged over him. He becamethe object of an Emperor's Jovian wrath. "What's the matter withSchmidt? He's--all--right!" thundered the whole press of the UnitedStates. And all because he had made a good bargain at a criticalmoment!

But no one on board the _Unser Fritz_ was vexed by aught save presenttribulations when De Sylva and his _aide_ quitted the ship. Be surethat not a soul thought of sleep. Every man, and the one woman whomchance had thrown in their midst, remained on deck and watched theslumbering town. It was only a small place. The _Andorinha_ lay atone end of the harbor, the _Unser Fritz_ at the other. They werebarely half a mile apart, and Maceio climbed the sloping shore betweenthe two points. 

Hozier, of course, had forgiven Iris for her aloofness, and Iris, withthat delightful inconsistency which ranks high among the many charms ofher sex, found that "Philip dear, " though she might not marry him, washer only possible companion. He, having acquired an experiencepreviously lacking, took care to fall in with her mood. She, weary ofa painful self-repression, cheated the frowning gods of "just this onenight. " So they looked at the twinkling lights, spoke in whispers lestthey should miss any tokens of disturbance on shore, elbowed each othercomfortably on the rails of the bridge, and uttered no word of love orfuture purpose. 

They were discussing nothing more important than the sufferings ofWatts--whom Coke would not allow to go out of his sight--when alightning blaze leaped from the somber shadows of some buildings on thequay lower down the river. Again, and many times again, the suddenjets of flame started out across the black water. Iris, or Hozier, forthat matter, had never seen a field-piece fired by night, but beforethe girl could do other than grip Philip's arm in a spasm of fear, thethunder of the artillery rolled across the harbor, and the worn platesof the _Unser Fritz_ quivered under the mere concussion. 

"By jove, they're at it!" cried Philip. 

Iris felt the thrill that shook him. She could not see his face, butshe knew that his blue eyes were shining like bright steel. She washorrified at the thought of red war being so near, yet she was proud ofher lover. At these mortal crises, the woman demands courage in theman. 

"Oh!" she gasped, and clung to him more tightly. 

Under such circumstances it was only to be expected that his arm wouldclasp her round the waist; Disraeli's famous epigram was coined fordiplomacy, not for love-making. 

Hozier strained his eyes through the gloom to try and discover theeffect of the cannonade on the gunboat. He was quickly alive to thesignificance of the answering broadside. Then the black hull grew dimand vanished. His sailor's sympathies went with the escaping ship. 

"She has got away! I am jolly glad of it, " he cried. "It was a dirtytrick to open fire on her in that fashion. Just how they served the_Andromeda_, the hounds, only we had never a gun to tickle them up inreturn. "

"Do you think that many of the poor creatures have been killed?" askedIris tremulously. The din of ordnance and bursting shells had ceasedas suddenly as it began. Lights appeared in nearly every house. Shouting men were running along the neighboring wharf. Maceio, never aheavy sleeper in bulk, dreamed for a second of earthquakes, leaped outof bed, and ran into the streets in the negligent costume which theItalians describe by the delightful word, _confidenza_. 

"I don't suppose so, " Hozier reassured her. "If the artillery had madegood practice at that short range the gunboat must have sunk at hermoorings. Her men naturally couldn't miss the town. There was a rareold rattle among the crockery behind the soldiers. Did you hear it? Iwonder what went over?"

He was as excited as a schoolboy, almost jubilant. Poor Iris! Thoughshe was now a veteran in scenes of death and disaster, she realizedthat fate had erred in choosing her as a heroine. 

Coke and Watts drew near. 

"Dom Wot's-'is-name wasn't long in gettin' busy, " chuckled Coke. "Gev'her a dose of the _Andromeda's_ physic, eh? I'm sorry the blightersmanaged to 'ook it. "

Though he had just uttered an opinion directly contrary to hiscaptain's, Hozier deemed it wise to be non-committal. 

"The guns must have been laid badly, " he said. 

"Mebbe, an' wot's more, d--n 'em, they knew there was something infront that could shoot back. "

So Coke was at least impartial. He cared not a jot how the Braziliansslaughtered each other so long as De Sylva established the new regimespeedily. 

"I never was a fightin' man meself, " murmured Watts weakly. "That sortof thing gives me a sinkin' sensation in me innards. "

"Wot you want is a drink, me boy, " said Coke. 

Watts brightened. He drew a deep breath. 

"I reelly believe that's wot's wrong with me, " he said. 

"Then I'll just ax the cook to 'urry up with the corfee, " guffawed theunfeeling skipper. "We'll all be the better for a snack an' somethink'ot. "

Iris managed to choke down an hysterical laugh. Coke was incorrigible, yet she was conscious of a growing appreciation of his crude chivalry. He boasted truly that he feared neither man nor devil. His chiefdefect lay in being born several centuries too late. Had he flourishedduring the Middle Ages, Coke would have carved out a kingdom. 

Even while the men were thus callously discussing the tragedy that hadbeen enacted before their eyes, the miracle of the dawn wastransforming night into day. In the tropics there is no hesitancyabout sunrise. The splendid imagery of Genesis is literally exact. "Let there be light; and there was light . . . And God divided thelight from the darkness. " Long before the _Andorinha_ had crept roundthe southern headland of the Macayo estuary she became visible again. 

About six o'clock a grand review was held in the Plaza, or chiefsquare. Dom Corria, a resplendent personage on horseback, made a finespeech. He was vociferously applauded, by both troops and populace. General Russo, also mounted, assured him that Brazil was pining forhim. In effect, when he was firmly established in the Presidency, thepeople would be allowed to vote for him. 

"We have borne two years of misrule, " vociferated thecommander-in-chief, "but it has vanished before the fiery breath of ourguns. We hail your Excellency as our liberator. Long live Dom Corria!Down with----"

The fierce "Vivas" of the mob, combined with the general's weight, proved too much for his charger, which plunged violently. Russo washeld on accidentally by his spurs. There was a lively interlude untilan orderly seized the bridle, and the general was able to disengage therowels from the animal's ribs. When tranquillity was restored, thesoldiers marched off to their quarters, and Colonel San Benavidesboarded the _Unser Fritz_. He invited Iris, Schmidt, Coke, and Hozierto breakfast with the President at the principal hotel. 

Watts was not included in the list of guests. Being indignant, heexpressed himself freely. 

"Nice thing!" he said to Norrie. "We're not good enough to be axed. It was a bit of all right w'en we 'elped 'im out of quod, but now 'e'sa bloomin' toff we're low-down sailormen--that's wot we are. "

"Man, ye're fair daft, " growled the Scot. "It's as plain as the neb onyer face that he canna dae wi' a', so he just picked the twa skippersand the lassie; he kent weel she wadna stir an inch withoot Hozier. "

Norrie was right, as it happened, but Watts added another grudge to hisscore against De Sylva. 

Now, though dynasties totter and empires crash, the first thing a womanthinks of when bidden to a public gathering is her attire. Irisdeclared most emphatically that to expect her to go ashore and meetcertain military and civic dignitaries while she was wearing a costumeoriginally purchased for mountaineering, which had endured the roughusage of the past two days, was "for to laugh. " She was speakingFrench, and that was the literal phrase she used. The courteous SanBenavides smiled away her protest. His Excellency had foreseen thedifficulty. Those who knew Dom Corria best would not credit that heshould forget anything. The Senhora Pondillo awaited Iris at the hotelwith a supply of new clothing. Captain Schmidt, of course, coulddepend on his own wardrobe, but Captain Coke and the Senhor Hozierwould find a tradesman in their rooms who had guaranteed to equip themsuitably. Moreover, the same outfitter would visit the ship during themorning and make good the lost raiment and boots of the other officersand men of the _Andromeda_. San Benavides spoke like the ambassador ofa prince, and, in the sequel, there was no stint of deeds to giveeffect to his promises. 

On the way to the hotel Iris saw a large building labeled "Casa doCorreio e Telegraphia. " It was not surprising that she had not thoughtearlier of the necessity of cabling to Liverpool. She blushed, andlooked involuntarily at Hozier. 

"I must send a message to my uncle, " she said. 

Were Philip a professed spiritualist, the spectral shapes of DavidVerity and Dickey Bulmer could not have been more effectually"projected" into his astral plane at Maceio than they were at thatinstant. He had not set eyes on either of the men, but the girl'swords conjured them into being, and the vision was vastly disagreeable. 

San Benavides, of course, was anxious to oblige Iris in this as inevery other respect. He procured the requisite form, told her thecost, which led to a condensed version of the original draft, smoothedaway the slight hindrance of foreign money tendered in payment, andarranged the due delivery of a reply. Perhaps he smiled when he readwhat she had written. The words were comprehensible even to one whodid not understand English:

"_Andromeda_ lost. Arrived here safely. Address, Yorke, Maceio. "

There was a space at the foot of the form on which it was necessary tosubscribe her name and local address. So she wrote, "Iris Yorke, steamship _Unser Fritz_, Maceio harbor. " Hozier was standing by herside as she printed the words legibly. She looked up at him with acuriously tense expression that he did not fathom immediately. Theywere in the busy main street again ere its meaning occurred to him. The cable committed her irrevocably. She felt that she was signing herown condemnation!

Among the four people, therefore, who entered the Hotel Grande in theRua do Sul there were two whose feelings were the reverse of cheerful. But convention is stronger than the primal impulses--sometimes ittriumphs over death itself--and convention was all-powerful now. Itled Iris away captive in the train of the smiling and voluble SenhoraPondillo, and it immersed Hozier in a tangle of fearsome words whichturned out to be the stock in trade of a clothier. The mere male ofMaceio decks himself with gay plumage. Philip was hard put to itbefore he secured some garments which did not irresistibly recall theheroes of certain musical comedies popular in England. 

Coke experienced worse vicissitudes. Even the variety and richness ofa master mariner's vocabulary was taxed to its utmost resources when hewas coaxed into "trying on" a short jacket apparently intended for atoreador. Such minor troubles, however, were overcome in time. Arazor and a hot bath were by no means the least important items of therejuvenating process, and when the two men entered the salon where DomCorria was holding an impromptu reception they looked like a couple ofcoffee-planters from the Argentine. Schmidt was there already. Forsome reason, the new President seemed to be so fond of the _UnserFritz's_ commander that he refused to be parted from him. It was notuntil long afterward that Hozier discovered the reason of this mushroomfriendship. The German consul was in the room. 

The appearance of Iris caused something akin to a sensation. The DonaPondillo could not create English clothes, nor bad copies of French, but her own daughters dressed in the height of local fashion, and DomCorria's earnest request had made them generous. The dark-eyed, olive-complexioned women of Alagoas are often exceedingly beautiful, but few of those present had ever seen a brown-haired, brown-eyed, fair-faced Englishwoman. Iris was remarkably good-looking, even amongthe pretty girls of her own county of Lancashire. Her large, limpideyes, well-molded nose, and perfectly formed mouth were the dominantfeatures of a face that had all the charm of youth and health. Hersmooth skin, brown with exposure to sun and air, glowed into a richcrimson when she found herself in the midst of so many strangers. Theslightly delicate semblance induced by the hardships and loss of restwhich fell to her lot since the _Andromeda_ went to pieces on theGrand-père rock in no wise detracted from her appearance. She wore theelegant costume of a Maceio belle with ease and distinction. If shewas flurried by the undisguised murmur of admiration that greeted her, she did not show it beyond the first rush of color. 

Dom Corria, dragging Schmidt with him, hurried to meet her. Surpriseat his gala attire helped to conquer her natural timidity, for thePresident was gorgeous in blue and gold. 

"My good wishes are soon changed into congratulations, Senhor, " shesaid. 

"Ah, my dear young lady, I am overjoyed that you should be here towitness my success, " he cried. Then, as if he had waited for thismoment, he turned to the assembled company and delivered an eloquentpanegyric of the _Andromeda's_ crew and their _deusa deliciosa_--forthat is what he called Iris--a delightful goddess. He had made manyspeeches already that day, but none was more heartfelt than this. Hiseulogy was unstinted. Luckily for Iris, she was so conscious of theattention she attracted that she kept her eyes steadfastly fixed on thecarpet. Otherwise, having a well-developed sense of humor, she musthave laughed outright had she seen Coke's face. 

He, of course, understood no word that was said. But De Sylva'sanimated gestures and flashing eyes were enough. Ever and anon, theexcitable citizens of Maceio would turn and gaze at one or other of thethree, while loud cries of "Bravo!" punctuated the President's oratory. When Coke's turn came for these demonstrations, he tried to grin, butwas only able to scowl. For once in his stormy life he was nonplused. His brick-red countenance glowed with heat and embarrassment. At theclose of the speech he muttered to Hozier:

"Wish I'd ha' known wot sort of beano I was comin' to. Dam if I ain'tmeltin'. "

This ordeal ended, déjeuner was served. The President took in Iris andthe Dona Pondillo. They were the only ladies present. The threesailors, some staff officers, and a few local celebrities, made up therest of the company. 

Hozier, though by no means indifferent to the good fare provided, waswondering how many hours would elapse before Iris's cablegram reachedVerity's office, when some words caught his ear that drove all otherconsiderations from his mind. 

"I am sorry to say that, in my opinion, there is not the slightestchance of your message reaching England to-day, Miss Yorke, " thePresident was saying. 

"But why not?" she asked, with an astonishment that was not wholly theoutcome of regret. 

"The cable does not land here, and the transmitting stations will beclosely watched, now that my arrival in Brazil is known. Even thesimplest form of words will be twisted into a political significance. No, I think it best to be quite candid. Until I control Pernambuco, which should be within a week or ten days, you may rest assured that noprivate cablegrams will be forwarded. "

"Oh, dear, I fully expected a reply to-day, " she said, and now that sherealized the effect of a further period of anxiety on the Bootlepartnership she was genuinely dismayed. 

"You may be sure it will not come, " said Dom Corria. "Indeed I may aswell take this opportunity of explaining to you--and to my otherEnglish friends"--with the interpolated sentence his glance dweltquietly on Hozier and Coke--"the exact position locally. You see, Maceio is a small place, and easily approached from the sea. A hostilefleet could knock it to pieces in half an hour, and it would be a poorreward for my supporters' loyalty if my presence subjected them to abombardment. I have no strong defenses or heavy guns to defy attack, and my troops are not more than a thousand men, all told. It isobvious that I must make for the interior. There, I gather strength asI advance, the warships cannot pursue, and I can choose my ownpositions to meet the half-hearted forces that Dom Miguel will collectto oppose me. In fact, I and every armed man in Maceio marchup-country this afternoon. "

Iris, by this time, was thoroughly frightened, and Hozier, who readmore in De Sylva's words than was possible in her case, was watchingthe speaker's calm face with a fixity that might have disconcerted manymen. Dom Corria seemed to be unaware of either the girl's distress orPhilip's white anger. 

"You naturally ask how I propose to safeguard the companions of myflight from Fernando Noronha, " he went on. "I answer at once--bytaking them with me. The Senhora Pondillo and her family willaccompany her husband to my _quinta_ at Las Flores. A special trainwill take all of us to the nearest railway station this afternoon. Thence my estate is but a day's march. You and my other friends fromboth ships will be quite safe and happy there until order is restored. You must come. The men's lives, at any rate, would not be worth anhour's purchase if my opponent's forces found them here, and I feelcertain that one or more cruisers will arrive off Maceio to-night. Foryou, this excursion will be quite a pleasant experience, and you canabsolutely rely on my promise to send news of your safety to England atthe very first opportunity. "

Iris could say nothing under the shock of this intelligence. Shelooked at Philip, and their eyes met. They both remembered the glancethey had exchanged at the post-office. Preoccupied by their ownthoughts, neither of them had noticed the smile San Benavides indulgedin on that occasion, nor did they pay heed to the fact that he wassmiling again now, apparently at some story told him by General Russo. But San Benavides was sharp-witted. He needed no interpreter to makeclear the cause of the chill that had fallen on the President's end ofthe table. 

"He has told them, " he thought, perhaps. And, if further surmise werehazarded as to his views, they might well prove to be concerned withthe wonderful things that can happen within a week or tendays--especially when things are happening at the rate taken by eventsjust then in Brazil. 

Of course, as a philosopher, San Benavides was right; it was in therole of prophet that he came to grief, this being the pre-ordained fateof all false prophets. 

CHAPTER XIV

CARMELA

Among the many words borrowed by the Brazilians from theirSpanish-speaking neighbors, that for "to-morrow" is perhaps the mostpopular. The Spaniard's _Mañana_ is so elastic that it covers anyperiod of time between the next twenty-four hours and the indefinitefuture. When, therefore, Dom Sylva spoke of controlling Pernambucobefore the month of September was barely half sped, he was either toosanguine, or too literal in his translation of easy-going Portugueseinto vigorous English. 

His _quinta_, or country house, was situated on the upper watershed ofthe river Moxoto. There he raised his standard, thither flocked rebelsgalore, and in that direction, with due caution, President Barracapushed columns of troops by road and rail from Bahia, from Pernambuco, and from Maceio itself. For Barraca held the sea, and the wealthy andenterprising south was strongly opposed to war, while Dom Corriatrusted to the mountains and drew his partisans from the less energeticnorth. This bald statement has an unconvincing sound in the ears ofraces which dwell north of the equator, but it must be remembered thatBrazil, in more respects than one, is the land of topsy-turveydom. Were it not that the mass of the people was heartily sick of a corruptregime, De Sylva would have been dead or in irons on his way back toFernando Noronha well within the time allotted for the consolidation ofhis rule. As it was, minor insurrections were breaking out in thesouthern provinces, the reigning President could trust only in thenavy, and the conservatism of commerce and society, as represented bythe great landowners of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Geraes, alone stifled the upgrowth of an overwhelming national movement in DomCorria's favor. 

In a word, De Sylva commanded public sympathy but small resources;Barraca was unpopular but controlled the navy and part of the army. Given such conditions--with the added absurdity that the troops on bothsides were most unwilling to face long-range rifle fire but wouldcheerfully hack each other to mince-meat with knives--and a tedious, indeterminate campaign is the certain outcome. De Sylva had said thatlocal conflicts were usually "short and fierce. " Applied to suchupheavals as had taken place in the capital during recent years, thephrase was strictly accurate. He himself had been bundled out ofoffice between Mass and Vespers on a memorable Sunday. But a convicton a remote island cannot organize such a perfect example of asuccessful revolt. He had done much in gaining a good foothold; therest must be left to time and chance. 

A few indecisive but sanguinary engagements were fought in theneighborhood of Pesqueira, a town in the hills about one hundred milesfrom the seaboard. These proved that General Russo was a valiantfighter but a poor tactician--and that was all. He was opposed by acommander of little courage but singular skill in strategy. To restorethe balance, Dom Corria took the field in person, and Dom MiguelBarraca hastened from Rio de Janeiro to witness the crushing of hisarch-enemy. 

The position was complicated by the arrival at Pernambuco of a Germansquadron bearing a telegraphic cartel from the Emperor. A German shiphad been seized on the high seas. Why? And by whom? And how couldanybody dare? Then Brazil quivered, for every South American knows inhis heart that the great navy of Germany is being created not so muchto destroy England as to dispute the proud doctrine of the UnitedStates that no European power shall ever again be allowed to seizeterritory on the American continent. 

So there were strenuous days and anxious nights at Las Flores, wherePresident De Sylva sought to equip and discipline his levies, and atCarugru, where President Barraca called on all the gods to witness thatDe Sylva was a double-dyed traitor. 

Under such circumstances it is not surprising that a grand display ofmoney and audacity, backed by sundry distant roars of the British lion, should enable two elderly Britons and a young Brazilian lady to passthrough the lines of the Exercito Nacional, as Barraca had christenedhis following, in opposition to De Sylva's army of Liberation. Lesttoo many people should become interested, the adventure was essayed onthe night of October 2d. Early next day the travelers and their guidesreached the rebel outposts. The young lady, who seemed to be at homein this wild country, at once urged her horse into a pace wholly beyondthe equestrian powers of her staid companions. They protested vainly. She waved a farewell hand, cantered over several miles of a rough road, and dashed up to the Liberationist headquarters about eight o'clock. 

There was no hesitancy about her movements. She drew rein in approvedGaucho style, bringing her mount to a dead stop from a gallop. 

"Where is the President?" she asked breathlessly. 

"There, senhora, " said an orderly, pointing to a marquee, open on everyside, wherein De Sylva sat in conference with his staff. 

So many officers and mounted soldiers were coming and going, so greatwas the bustle of preparation for some important movement then intrain, that no one specially noted her arrival. She dismounted, anddrew the reins across the horse's head ere she tied him to a tree. Shesaw a tall young man emerge from the tent, jump on a charger held by asoldier, and ride off at a fast pace toward the house of Las Flores, which stood in a large garden on the slope of a neighboring hill. Hisappearance seemed to puzzle her momentarily. His attire was that ofBrazil, but neither his manner nor horsemanship was typical of theBrasileiro. In walking, he moved with an air of purposefulconcentration that differed singularly from the languorous stroll ofthe average Brazilian officer, while his seat in the saddle, thoughconfident enough, could not be mistaken for that of a man who neverwalks a yard if there is an animal to bestride. 

The new arrival was, however, at once too weary and too excited to givefurther heed to one who was an utter stranger. She pushed her waythrough knots of smoking loungers, entered the tent, and uttered alittle scream of delight when the President, who was writing at a bigtable, happened to glance at her. De Sylva rose hastily, with anamazed look on his usually unemotional face; forthwith the girl flungherself into his arms. 

"Father!"

"Carmela!"

San Benavides, whose back was turned, heard the joyous cries of thereunited father and daughter. They were locked in each other'sembrace, and the eyes of every man present were drawn to a pathetic andunexpected meeting. For that reason, and because none gave a thoughtto him, the pallor that changed the bronze of his forehead and cheeksinto a particularly unhealthy-looking tint of olive green passedunnoticed. He swallowed something. It must have been a curse, for itseemed to taste bitter. But he managed to recover some shred ofself-control ere the Senhora De Sylva was able to answer her father'sfirst eager questions; then, with a charming timidity, she found breathto say:

"And what of Salvador--is he not here?"

Yes, Salvador was there--by her side--striving most desperately to looklover-like. They clasped hands. Brazilian etiquette forbade a moredemonstrative greeting, and Carmela attributed Salvador's manifestsallowness to the hardships of campaigning no less than the shock ofher sudden appearance. 

But the business of red war gave little scope for the many confidencesthat a girl who had journeyed more than four thousand miles for thisreunion might naturally exchange with a father and a lover. Someimportant move was toward, and the President and his chief-of-staff hadno time to spare. 

"You have come to bring me luck, Carmela meu, " said De Sylva, strokinghis daughter's hair affectionately. "To-day we make our first realadvance. Salvador and I are going to the front now, almost thisinstant. But there will be no fighting--an affair of outposts at thebest--and when everything is in order we shall return here to sleep. Expect us, then, soon after sunset. Meanwhile, at the _quinta_ youwill find the young English lady of whose presence you are aware. Giveher your friendship. She is worthy of it. "

"Adeos, senhora!" echoed San Benavides, bringing his heels togetherwith a click, and saluting. He gathered a number of papers from thetable with nervous haste, and at once began to issue instructions toseveral officers. De Sylva renewed the signing of documents. Russoand he conversed in low tones. A buzz of talk broke out in the tent. Carmela felt that she had no part in this activity, that her merepresence was a positive hindrance to the work in hand. A trifledisappointed, yet not without a thrill of high resolve to create forherself an indispensable share in the movement of which her father wasthe central figure, she went out, unhitched her tired horse, and walkedto the house. 

In Brazil, a _quinta_, or farm, may range from a palace to a hovel. Dom Corria was rich; consequently Las Flores attained the higher level. It was a straggling, roomy structure, planned for comfort andhospitality rather than display, and the gardens, to whose beauty andextent was due the Spanish name, used to be famous throughout theprovince. Carmela had not seen the place during five years; sheexpected to find changes, but was hardly prepared for the ravages madeby neglect, aided by unchecked tropical growth, as the outcome of herfather's two years in prison. The flowers were gone, the rarer shrubschoked by rank weeds, the trees disfigured by rampant climbers. But, in front of the long, deep veranda, even the attention of a month hadrestored much of its beauty to a widespread lawn. Here, at that earlyhour, the air was cool and the shade abundant; indeed, so embossed intowering trees was the wide greensward, that it seemed to flow abruptlyinto the veranda without ever a path or garden gate to break the solidwalls of foliage. 

Filled with tumultuous memories, her heart all throbbing at theprospect of her father's fortunes being restored, the Senhora De Sylvawas entering a gate that led to the left front of the house, when theyoung man came out whom she had seen leaving the headquarters tent. Again he rode like one in a hurry, and she noted that he emerged from aside path which gave access to the lawn. He gave her a sharp glance ashe passed. She received an impression of a strong face, withstern-looking, bright, steel-blue eyes, a mouth tensely set, an aspectat once confident yet self-contained. She was sure now he was not aBrazilian, and he differed most materially from the mental picture ofCaptain James Coke created by the many conversations in which he hadfigured during her long voyage from Southampton in company with DavidVerity and Dickey Bulmer. 

So Carmela wondered now who he could be, nor was her wonder lessenedwhen she peered through the screen of trees, and saw a girl, whom sherecognized instantly as Iris, furtively dabbing her tear-stained facewith a handkerchief. 

Unhappily, the President's daughter was not attractive in appearance. She had fine eyes, and she moved with the natural elegance of her race, but her features were somewhat angular for one of pure-bloodedPortuguese descent, and a too well-defined chin was more effectual asan index of character than as an element of personal charm. Closeacquaintance with the cosmopolitan society of Paris and London hadfamiliarized her with many types of European and American beauty, andher surprise that such an uncommonly good-looking girl should be theniece of David Verity was not unmingled with pique at finding heralready installed in remote Las Flores. 

The veranda seemed to be a hive of feminine industry. The DonaPondillo and her daughters, together with the female relatives ofseveral noted men among the insurgents, were cutting and stitching mostindustriously. Iris Yorke's advice, perhaps her assistance, wasevidently in demand. Assuming that the young man who rode thither sorapidly had gone to see her, she could not have been absent from thesewing party more than five minutes, yet half a dozen ladies wereclamoring for her already. The truth was that many of them had neverplied a needle before in their lives. They had to be taughteverything. One peasant woman would have accomplished more real workthan any five of the Librationist _grandes dames_. 

Despite her firm chin, Carmela De Sylva did not contemn themeretricious aid of dress. Iris looked fresh and cool in soft muslin, whereas the newcomer was travel-stained and disheveled. The pack-muleswere lagging on the road, but a wash and general tidying ofdust-covered garments would help the President's daughter to regain theassurance, now sadly lacking, which would be necessary ere she won herrightful place in a community largely composed of strangers. As sheled her horse back into the main avenue, she was sorry that her fatheror Salvador could not spare even the few minutes that would havesufficed for an introduction. At any rate, she would probably find anold servant at the back of the house--some family retainer whosewelcome would charm away this displeasing sense of intrusion. 

On the way to the stables she heard a man singing. The words were inEnglish. They were also quaint, for they dealt with life from a pointof view which differed widely from that presented by Dom Corria's_finca_. 

 "Oh, it's fine to be a sailor" [sang Watts], "an' to cross the ragin' main, From Hooghly bar to New Orleens to roam, But I 'ope that my old woman will put me on the chain Next time I want to quit my 'umble 'ome. "

Possibly the verse was an original effort, because there followed amarked change in tune and meter. 

"'Mid pleasures an' palaces----'" he began, when Senhora De Sylva cameupon him as he sat on a fence, pipe in hand, with his back bracedcomfortably against a magnificent rosewood tree. He stopped, grinnedsheepishly, and, not recognizing the lady, tried to cover his confusionby lighting the pipe. 

"Are you one of the _Andromeda's_ men?" asked Carmela, speaking in theclear and accurate English used by her father. 

It was well for Watts that the tree prevented him from fallingbackwards. He was quite sober, but cheerful withal, as he had nothingto do but sleep, smoke, eat, and drink the light wine of the district, of which his only complaint was that "one might mop up a barrel of itan' get no forrarder. " Nevertheless, he received a positive shock whenaddressed in his own language by a young woman who was obviously ofBrazil. He stared at her so hard that he forgot the steady progress ofthe slow-burning tand-stikkor match recently ignited. Its sulphurousflame reached his fingers and reminded him. 

"My godfather!" he howled, springing from the rail, and recovering hiswits instantly. "Beg pardon, mum, but you took me aback all standin'as the saying is. Christopher, didn't that match wake me up!"

"I am afraid it is my fault, " said Carmela, who could look sympatheticwhere Iris would want to laugh. "I have just arrived here, andeverybody seems to be so full of troubles that I am glad to hear yousinging. "

"Oh, that's just hummin', mum. If you're fond of music you ought to'ear Schmidt, Captain Schmidt of the _Unser Fritz_----"

Carmela struck an attitude. 

"Wot, d'ye know 'im?" asked Watts. 

"No, it is something--rather important. I must go back to my father. Ah, I ought to explain. I am the Senhora De Sylva, Dom Corria'sdaughter. "

"Are you really, mum, --miss?" exclaimed Watts, highly interested. "'Owin the world did ye manage to come up from the coast? Accordin' to allaccounts----"

"Yes, what were you going to say?" for the man hesitated. 

"Well, some of our chaps will 'ave it that we're runnin' close-hauledon a lee shore. "

Carmela knit her brows. The Watts idioms were not those of hergoverness. 

"We had no great difficulty in passing through Dom Barraca's lines, ifthat is what you mean, " she said. "Mr. Verity and Mr. Bulmer hadobtained special permits, but in my case----"

"Mr. 'oo, did you say, miss?" demanded Watts, whose lower jaw actuallydropped from sheer amazement. 

"Mr. Verity, the owner of the _Andromeda_. You are one of the crew, Isuppose?"

"I'm the chief officer. Watts is my name, miss. But d'you mean totell me that ole David Verity 'as come 'ere--to Brazil--to this rotten. . . Sorry, miss, but you gev' me a turn, you did. An' DickeyBulmer--is _'e_ 'ere too?"

"Yes, or he soon will be here. I rode on in advance of the others. "

"Well--there--if that don't beat cock-fightin'!" cried Watts. "Wot'llCoke say? W'y, 'e'll 'ave a fit. An' Miss Iris! She's to marry oleDickey. Fancy 'im turnin' up! There'll be the deuce an' all to pay, now, wot between 'im an' Hozier an' the dashin' colonel. "

The horse, trying to nibble some grass at Carmela's feet, suddenlythrew his head up, for the cruel South American bit had tightened undera jerk of the reins. 

"Who is Mr. Hozier?" asked the girl calmly. 

"He is, or was, our second mate, but since the colonel an' 'e got tologgerheads 'e took an' raised a corps of scouts. Some of our fellowsjoined, but not me. Killin' other folks don't agree with me a littlebit. I don't mind a shine in a snug or a friendly scrap over an extrydrink, but w'en it comes to them long knives----"

"And the colonel--what is _his_ name?" broke in Carmela, turning toloosen the surcingle. She could control her voice but not her eyes, and she did not wish to startle this open-mouthed gossip. 

"San Benavides, miss. Captain 'e was on Fernando Noronha; 'e took amighty quick jump after we kem ashore. But I ax your pardon forramblin' on in this silly way. Won't you go inside? There's a usefulole party there, name of Maria----"

"Ah, Maria--dear, good Maria--she at least will not have forgotten me, "sobbed Carmela in her own tongue, and Watts afterwards informed Cokethat although the inhabitants of China were noted for their peculiarways, when it came to a show-down in that qualification, the averagewoman could beat any Chinky ever born. Had he but known more, Wattswas also in a position to state that he had squared accounts with thescornful President. 

For the Senhora De Sylva might have been seized with mortal illness ifjudged solely by the manner in which she staggered into her father'shouse, threw her arms around the neck of an elderly woman whom shepetrified by her appearance, and almost fainted--not quite, but on theverge, much nearer than such a strong-minded young lady would havethought possible an hour earlier. 

Maria screamed loudly. Tongue-tied at first, she was badly scared whenCarmela collapsed on her ample bosom. Restoratives and endearmentsfollowed. Carmela asked to be taken to a room where she might wash andshake the dust from her hair and clothes. Maria considered ways andmeans. Every room in the big house was crowded. 

"Who is in my own apartment?" demanded Carmela. 

Even before the answer was forthcoming she guessed the truth. TheSenhora Ingleza, of course. Those fine eyes of hers flasheddangerously. 

"What, then? Does this woman come here and take all?" she cried. 

"Ah, _pequinina_, do not be angry, " said Maria. "Who save the good Godcould tell that you would come from Paris to-day? And the SenhoraIngleza will be glad to give place to you. She is so kind, sounselfish. All the men adore her. "

"So I hear, " murmured Carmela, trying to still the passion thatthrobbed in her heart, since she was aware that neither Maria nor anyother among the old domestics at Las Flores knew of her engagement, andpride was now coming to her aid. 

"She will have no word to say to any of them, " gabbled Maria. "Thereis a young Englishman--well, it is no affair of mine, but I am told sheloves him, yet is promised to another, an old man, too. _Santa Mãe_!That would not suit me if I were her age!"

This home-coming of Carmela was quite an important event in its way. At first sight it bore the semblance of a mere disillusionment such asany girl might experience under like circumstances. She had been takenfrom Las Flores to occupy a palace at Rio de Janeiro, and was drivenfrom the palace to the hotel life of the Continent. During two yearsshe had not seen either father or lover; and lovers of the SanBenavides ilk are apt to console themselves during these prolongedintervals. Yet Carmela's shattered romance was the pivot on whichrested the future of Brazil. 

Had she gone straight to Iris on leaving her father, and made known theastounding tidings that Verity and Bulmer were riding up the MoxotoValley barely three miles away, Iris would surely have devised somemeans of acquainting Philip Hozier with the fact. In that event, assuming that he awaited their arrival, the first march of an extendedreconnaissance which he thought desirable would necessarily bepostponed. And then--well, the recent history of Brazil would have tobe re-written, since there cannot be the slightest doubt that DomCorria De Sylva would never have occupied the Presidential chair asecond time. 

It would be idle now to inquire too closely into the springs ofPhilip's resolve to take service under a foreign flag. Perhaps theirksome state of affairs at Las Flores, where there was no mean betweenloafing and soldiering, was intolerable to a spirited youngster. Perhaps San Benavides, constantly riding in from the front, irritatedhim beyond endurance by his superior airs. Or it may be that a growingbelief in Iris's determination to sacrifice herself by redeeming herbond made him careless as to what happened in the near future. Theoutcome of one or all of these influences was that he sought, and wasreadily given, a commission in the Army of Liberation. Like allsailors, he preferred the mounted arm, and De Sylva, having the highestopinion of his thoroughness, actually appointed him to command a branchof the Intelligence Department. 

Philip, trained to pin his faith in maps and charts, came to theconclusion that Las Flores could be attacked from the rear, which layto the northwest. The Brazilians laughed at the notion. Where werethe troops to come from? Barraca must bring all his men by sea. Therewere none stationed in those wild mountains. 

"Better go and make sure, " quoth Philip. 

He ascertained the President's intentions as to the next twenty-fourhours, assembled his little body of scouts, saw to their forage andequipment, took leave of Iris, and hurried off. 

When two stout and elderly fellow-countrymen of his climbed the lastmile of the rough valley beneath the Las Flores slope, Philip and histroop were a league or more beyond the Moxoto's watershed. 

Meanwhile, Carmela De Sylva proved that her resolute chin was notdeceptive as a guide to temperament. The Dona Pondillo deemed her aspirit when she appeared on the veranda, but Carmela's impetuous kisssoon disabused the worthy dame of her error. 

Iris, wondering why the lively chatter of her Brazilian friends was sosuddenly stilled, to be succeeded by a hubbub of excited words as theolder ladies present gathered around the new-comer, asked one of thePondillo girls what had happened. 

"It is Carmela, the President's daughter, " giggled the other. "Mothersays she is engaged to San Benavides. What fun! But where has shecome from? When last I heard of her she was in Paris. "

A month of close companionship with people who spoke Portuguese all daylong, and often far into the night, had familiarized Iris with many ofthe common phrases. Thus, she gathered one fact as to Carmela, andmore than suspected another. For a reason that every woman willunderstand, she felt a subtle thrill of fear. If San Benavides werereally Carmela's accepted lover, then, indeed, Iris had good cause forforeboding. Though the Brazilian had never directly avowed hispassion, since he knew quite well that she would refuse to listen, shecould not be blind to his infatuation. Only the threat of her diredispleasure had restrained Hozier from an open quarrel with him. Herposition, difficult enough already, would become intolerable if DeSylva's daughter became jealous, and she had no doubt whatsoever thatSan Benavides would seek to propitiate the woman he loved by callouslytelling the woman he had promised to marry that his affections werebestowed elsewhere. 

Her heart sank when she discovered this new maelstrom in her sea oftroubles; but here was Carmela herself speaking to her, and in English:

"So you are Iris Yorke!" the girl was saying. "I have heard so much ofyou, yet you are so utterly different from what I imagined. "

"You have heard of _me_?" repeated Iris, and surprise helped her tosmile with something of her wonted self-possession. 

"Yes, on board the steamer. We sailed from Southampton, and had littleelse to talk of during the voyage. But, of course, you cannotunderstand. Among my fellow-passengers were your uncle and Mr. Bulmer. "

Iris had long relinquished any hope of communicating with Bootle untilthe present deadlock in the operations of the two armies was a thing ofthe past. Completely mystified now by Carmela's glib reference to thetwo men whose names were so often in her thoughts though seldom on herlips, she could only gaze at the Senhora De Sylva in silentbewilderment. 

Carmela, feeling that she was gaining ground rapidly, affected a noteof polite regret. 

"Please forgive me for being so abrupt. Perhaps I ought to haveprepared you. But it is quite true. Mr. Verity and Mr. Bulmer camewith me from Europe. We all reached Pernambuco the day beforeyesterday. Indeed, if it were not for them, and the assistance theygave me, I would not be here now. No one recognized me, fortunately, and--I hope you will not be vexed--I passed as Mr. Verity's niece. Infact, I took your place for the time. "

A notable feature of the De Sylva utterance was its clearness. Carmela's concluding words could not possibly be mistaken for anythingelse. Their meaning, on the other hand, was capable of varying shadesof significance; but Iris was far too amazed to seek depths beneaththeir literalness. 

"If Mr. Verity and Mr. Bulmer are in Brazil----" she began tremulously, but Carmela broke in with a shrill laugh. 

"There is no 'if. ' Look below there, near my father's tent! They havearrived. They are asking for you. Come, let us meet them! I must seemy father before he departs. "

Iris's swimming eyes could not discern the figures to which Carmela waspointing. But this strange girl's triumphant tone rang like a knell inher heart. She was not thinking now of the complications that mightarise between San Benavides and his discarded flame. She only knewthat, by some miracle, her uncle had come to bring her home, and withhim was the man to whom she was plighted, while Philip, only half anhour ago, had told her he would not see her again until the followingevening. 

So this was the end of her dream. Bitter-sweet it had been, and longdrawn out, but forthwith she must awake to the gray actualities of life. 

She felt Carmela dragging her onward, irresistibly, vindictively. Shesaw, as through a mist, David Verity's fiery-hued face, and heard hisharsh accents. Yes, there was no mistake. Here was Bootle transportedto Brazil, Linden House to Las Flores!

"By gum, lass, " he was bellowing, with a touch of real sentiment in hisvoice, "you've given us a rare dance afore we caught up wi' you. But'ere you are, bright as a cherry, an' 'ere is Dickey an' meself come tofetch you. Dash my wig, there's life in the old dogs yet, or we'dnever ha' bin able to ride forty mile through this God-forgottencountry. An' damme if that isn't Coke, red as a lobster. Jimmie, meboy, put it there! Man, but you're a dashed long way from port!"

Happily, Iris was too stunned to betray herself. She extended a handto the sun-browned, white-haired old man standing by her uncle's side. 

"I am very glad to see you, Mr. Bulmer, " she said simply. And, in thathour of searing agony, she meant it, for it is easier to look back onsuffering than to await it, and she had been living in dread of thismeeting for many a weary day. 

CHAPTER XV

SHOWING HOW BRAZIL CHOSE HER PRESIDENT

Two thousand five hundred years ago the prophet Jeremiah expressedincredulity as to the power of an Ethiopian to change his skin or aleopard his spots. The march of the centuries has fully justified theseer's historic doubt, so it makes but slight demand on the criticalfaculties to assume that two years' residence in Europe had not cooledthe hot southern blood flowing in Carmela's veins. 

She had hated Iris before she set eyes on her; she hated her now that shehad seen her rare beauty; she gloated on the suffering inflicted by thepresence of the faded old man who claimed her as his bride. Though itwas of the utmost importance that she should hasten to her father, shereturned to Las Flores in her rival's company, their arms linked inseeming friendship, and the Brazilian girl's ears alert to treasure everyword that told of Bulmer's wooing. 

Therein she greatly miscalculated the true gentility of one whom hiscronies described as "a rough diamond. " Bulmer realized that Iris wasoverwrought. Vague but sensational items in newspapers had prepared himin some measure for the story of her wanderings since last they met inquiet, old-fashioned Bootle. He felt that she was altered, that theirways in life had deviated with a sharpness that was not to be broughtback into parallel grooves simply because he had traveled many thousandsof miles to find her. 

So Dickey contented himself by listening to Coke's Homeric account of the_Andromeda's_ wrecking, and if he interposed an occasional question, andthus drew the girl's sweet voice into the talk, it was invariably germaneto the strange history of the ship and her human freight. 

Coke's narrative was picturesque and lurid. At times, he called himselfto order; at times, both Iris and Carmela affected not to have heard him. But Carmela's interest never flagged. Nor did Bulmer's. As the yarnprogressed--for Watts and Schmidt and Norrie had joined them, and thewhole party was seated in an inner room where an impromptu meal wasprovided--both the woman of Brazil and the man of Lancashire seized onthe same unspoken _motif_. Every incident centered in the strikingpersonality of Philip Hozier. From the instant the second shell struckthe winch, and laid him apparently dead on the forecastle, to the veryhour of this coming together at Las Flores, Hozier held the stage. Itwas he who took Iris on his shoulders and brought her to safety throughthe spume of the wrathful sea, he who carried her to the hut, he whocrossed Fernando Noronha alone to protect her. 

Coke was impartial. He would have minimized his own singular bravery inrunning up the ship's signals had not Iris given him a breathing-spacewhile she enthralled the others with her description. Otherwise, Cokeskipped no line of his epic. 

"You'll rec'lect, " he wheezed, in a voice that rasped like a file, "you'll rec'lect, Mr. Verity, as I said to you that Hozier was goodenough to take charge of the bridge of a battleship. By--well, any 'ow, if I'd said the Channel Fleet I shouldn't 'ave bin talkin' through me'at. Look at 'im now. 'E's the on'y reel live man Dom Wot's-'is-name'as got. Sink me! if it wasn't for the folks at 'ome, an' the fac' thatthe _Andromeeda's_ skipper ought to keep clear of politics in thiscrimson country, I'd 'ave a cut in at the game meself. "

It might be hoped that Carmela's mood would soften when she discoveredher rival's hapless love, but that would be expecting something which herbursting southern heart could not give. A volcano pours forth lava, notwater. It scorches, not heals. Iris, willing or not, had sapped herSalvador's allegiance. Carmela wanted to see those curved lips writhingin pain, those brown eyes dimmed, that smooth brow wrung with the griefthat knows no remedy. 

A fierce joy leaped up in her when Verity spoke of an early departure. 

"You see, Iris, " he explained, "these Brazilian bucks may be months insettlin' their differences. Dickey an' me, 'elped a lot by our Consul, squeezed a pass out of the President--beg pardon, miss, but 'e isPresident, in Pernambuco, at all events, " he said in an apologetic"aside" to Carmela--"an' the sooner we make tracks for ole England thebetter it'll be for all of us. Wot do you say to an early startto-morrow? We'd be off to-night, on'y I'm feared my rheumaticky boneswouldn't stand the racket. "

The color ebbed from Iris's face, but she said at once:

"I shall be ready, uncle dear. I promised Dom Corria to look after thehospital appliances that are so much needed by the poor soldiers, but theSenhora De Sylva will attend to that much more effectually than I. "

"Good! Then that's settled. "

David pursed out his thick lips with a sigh of relief. Though he hadwatched the spoken record of the _Andromeda_ and her company for craftierhints than was suspected by his fellow travelers, he was not deaf toCoke's appreciation of Hozier. The silence of his niece on that sametopic was alarming, but the position could not be so bad if she waswilling to leave for the coast without seeing him again. No secret wasmade of Philip's errand into the interior. The homeward-bound cavalcadewould be at Pesqueira ere he returned to the _finca_. 

Carmela, of course, did not believe in a woman's complacency in such avital matter. She was ever prepared to spring, to strike, to wrenchtheir plans to suit her own ends; but, contrive as she might, she couldnot succeed in leaving Iris alone with Bulmer. Full of device, she wasfoiled at each turn. The day wore, the sun went down, the starlit skymade beautiful a parched earth, but never a word in privacy did Irisexchange with her husband-to-be. Carmela's malice was not hidden fromher, but she despised it. There was some ease for her tortured brain indefeating it. If the Senhora De Sylva had only understood how thoroughlythe Englishwoman loathed her petty jealousy, it was possible that the fewremaining hours of their enforced intimacy might have been rendered lessirksome. 

But, by this time, fate had gathered the slackened strings of theirdestinies. Thenceforth they became her puppets. Permitted for a littlewhile to play the tragi-comedy of life according to their owninclinations, now the stern edict had gone forth that they were to acttheir allotted parts in one of those fascinating if blood-stained dramasthat the history of nations so often puts on the stage. The future isthe most cunning of playwrights. No man may tell what the next sceneshall be. And no man, nor any woman, could guess the mad revel of hateand war that would rage that night around the placid homestead of LasFlores. 

Behind the veranda was a huge ballroom, converted, by the exigencies ofthe campaign, into a dining hall for the many inmates of the _finca_. The Brazilian ladies, the sailors, some sick or wounded officers who werenot confined to bed, even the household servants, took their meals therein common. Supper was served soon after nine o'clock. When cigars andcigarettes were lighted, and the company broke up into laughing, gossiping, noisy groups, the place looked more like a popular Continentalcafe than a room in a private mansion. 

Though De Sylva, General Russo, San Benavides, and some score of membersof the President's staff who usually dined at the _finca_, were nowabsent, there was no lack of lively chatter. A very Babel of tonguesmixed in amity. The prevalent note was one of cheery animation. Carmelaexerted herself to win popularity, and a President's daughter need notput forth very strenuous efforts in that direction to be acclaimed bymost. 

Iris was listening, with real interest, to Verity's description of thefinding of Macfarlane in the _Andromeda's_ boat by a Cardiff-boundcollier three days after he had drifted away from Fernando Noronha. 

"The yarn kem to us through the Consul at Pernambuco, " he said. "Evidently, from wot you tell me, it's all right. Poor ole Mac 'ad a badtime afore 'e was picked up, but 'e was alive, an' I'm jolly glad of it, for 'e'll be a first-rate witness w'en this business comes up in court. "

"Wot court?" demanded Coke sharply. 

"The court that settles our claim, of course, " retorted Verity, with aquick ferret look at his fellow-conspirator. 

"There'll be no claim. The President means to stump up in style. Youtake my tip, an' shut up about courts, " said Coke. 

"It'll cost Brazil a tidy penny, " remarked Bulmer thoughtfully. "Nobodywould ever imagine wot bags of gold an' parcels of di'monds sailors an'firemen carry around in their kit-bags till a ship is lost an' aGover'ment 'as to pay. "

Watts deemed this an exquisite joke. He laughed loudly. 

"That reminds me, " he cried. "W'en the _Gem of the Sea_ turned turtle onthe James an' Mary----"

A _criado_, a nondescript man-servant attached to the household, stoopedover Iris and whispered something. She gathered that she was wanted inthe _patèo_, or court-yard, which, owing to the construction of thehouse, stood on one side instead of in front, where the lawn usurped itsusual position. 

"Who is it?" she asked. 

The voice sank even lower. 

"Colonel San Benavides, Senhora. "

She had gathered sufficient of Brazilian ways to understand that the manhad been bribed to convey this request to her without attractingattention. 

"Tell him to wait, " she said, hoping to gain a moment wherein to decidehow best to act. 

"It is urgent, Senhora--_ao mesmo tempo_, the colonel said. "

"Go! That is my answer. "

The man's unwillingness to obey showed how imperative were hisinstructions. She rose, and the _criado_ hurried out, satisfied that shewould follow. But Iris had no wish to meet San Benavides. If she wereseen with him in the dark _patèo_ at this late hour, fuel would be addedto the fire of Carmela's foolish spite. She was aware of Carmela'scovert glance watching her from the other end of the long room. What wasto be done? Why not send Carmela in her stead? They were almost of thesame height, and dressed somewhat alike in flowered muslin. It would bean amusing mistake, though annoying, perhaps, to San Benavides; at anyrate, Carmela would not object, and Iris was fully resolved not to keepthe tryst in person. 

She walked straight to her enemy. 

"Colonel San Benavides awaits you in the _patèo_, " she said in English. 

"Awaits _me_!"

There was no mistaking the gleam in those jet-black eyes. The smolderingfire flamed into furnace heat at the implied indignity of such a mandatebeing delivered by Iris. 

"I suppose so, " said Iris carelessly. "A servant brought the message. He came to me in the first instance, but I am just going to my room topack my few belongings. We leave here at daybreak, you know. "

Carmela tried to smile. 

"I shall be sorry to lose you, " she said, "though I admit it will bepleasant to occupy my own room again. "

Then Iris was genuinely distressed. 

"I had not the least notion----" she began, but Carmela nodded and madeoff, saying as she went:

"What matter--for one night?"

So, at last, she would learn the truth. Salvador was out there, alone. She would soon judge him. If he were innocent, she would know. If hehad merely been made the sport of a designing woman, she was ready toforgive. In a more amiable mood than she had displayed at any momentsince her arrival at Las FIores, Carmela hastened along a dark corridor, crossed a bare hall, passed through a porch, and searched the shadows ofthe patèo for the form of her one-time lover. 

A voice whispered, in French:

"Come quickly, Senhora, I pray you!"

It startled her to find San Benavides talking French, until it occurredto her that Iris and he must converse in that language or hardly at all. The thought was disquieting. The volcano stirred again. 

"Senhora, je vous prie!" again pleaded the man, who was on horsebackunder the trees. 

She did not hesitate, but ran to him. Without a word of explanation, hebent sideways, caught her in his arms, drew her up until she was seatedon the holsters strapped to a gaucho saddle, and wheeled his horse into agallop. Filled with a grim determination, she uttered no protest. Not asyllable crossed her lips lest he should strive to amend his woefulblunder. She noticed that they were not going toward the camp, butcircling round the enclosed land in the direction of the hills. Thoughthe night was dark, the stars gave light enough for the horse to movefreely. Carmela's head was bent. A gauze-like mantilla covered herblack hair, and, strange though it may seem, one woman's small waist andslim figure can be amazingly like the same physical attributes in anotherwoman. 

But San Benavides wondered why the cold Ingleza had surrendered sosilently. He expected at least a scream, a struggle, an impassioneddemand to be released. He was prepared for anything save a dumbacceptance of this extraordinary raid. 

So he began to explain. 

"One word, Senhora!" he muttered. "You must think me mad. I am not. All is lost! Our army is defeated! In an hour Las Flores will be inflames!"

The girl quivered in his arms. A moaning cry came from her. 

"It is true, I swear it!" he vowed. "I mean you no ill. I fought tillthe end, and my good horse alone carried me in advance of the routedtroops. Dom Corria may reach the _finca_ alive, but, even so, he and therest will be killed. I refused to escape without you. Believe me ornot, you are dearer than life itself. In the confusion we two may not bemissed. Trust yourself wholly to me, I beseech you!"

He spoke jerkily, in the labored phrase of a man who has to pick andchoose the readiest words in an unfamiliar language. 

Carmela, with a sudden movement, raised her face to his, and threw asideher veil. 

"Salvador!" she said. 

His eyes glared into hers. His frenzied clutch at the reins pulled thehorse on to its haunches. 

"My God! . . . Carmela!" he almost shrieked. 

"Yes. So you are running away, Salvador--running away with the Englishmiss--deserting my father in the hour of his need! But she will die withthe others, you say. Well, then--join her!"

During that quick twist on the horse's withers, she had plucked arevolver from a holster. She meant to shatter that false face of hisutterly, to blast him as with lightning . . . But the lock snappedharmlessly, for San Benavides had, indeed, borne himself gallantly in thefray. He struck at her now in a whirl of fury. She winced, but withcatamount activity drew back her arm and hit him on the temple with theheavy weapon. He collapsed limply, reeled from off the saddle, and theyfell together. The frightened horse, finding himself at liberty, galloped to the camp, where already there was an unusual commotion. 

Carmela flung herself on the man's body. She was capable of extremeseither of grief or passion. 

"Salvador, my love! my love!" she screamed. "What have I done? Speak tome, Salvador! It is I, Carmela! Oh, Mary Mother, come to my aid! Ihave killed him, killed my Salvador!"

He looked very white and peaceful as he lay there in the gloom. Shecould not see whether his lips moved. She was too distraught to note ifhis heart was beating. It seemed incredible that she, a weak woman, should have crushed the life out of that lithe and active frame with oneblow. Then a dark stain appeared on the white skin. Her hands, herlips, were covered with blood. She tasted it. The whole earth reeked ofit. It scorched her as with vitriol. She rose and ran blindly. Thedarkness appalled her. No matter now what fate befell, she must havelight, the sound of human voices. . . . And she sobbed piteously as sheran:

"Salvador! Oh, God in heaven, my Salvador!"

It is not the crime, but the conscience, that scourges erring humanity. Carmela needed some such flogging. It was just as well that her frightat the horrible touch of blood was not balanced by the saner knowledgethat a ruptured vein was nature's own remedy for a man jarred intoinsensibility. Long before Carmela reached the _finca_, San Benavidesstirred, groaned, squirmed convulsively, and raised himself on hands andknees. He turned, and sat down, feeling his head. 

"The spit-fire!" he muttered. "The she-devil! And that other! Wouldthat I could wring _her_ neck!"

A sputtering of rifles crackled in the valley. There was a blurredclamor of voices. He looked at the sky, at the black summits of thehills. He stood up, and his inseparable sword clanked on the stonyground. 

"Ah, well, " he growled, "I have done with women. They have had the bestof my life. What is left I give to Brazil. "

So he, too, made for Las Flores, but slowly, for he was quite exhausted, and his limbs were stiff with the rigors of a wild day in the saddle. 

Carmela went back to a household that paid scant heed to her screaming. Dom Corria was there, bare-headed, his gorgeous uniform sword-slashed andblood-bespattered. General Russo, too, was beating his capacious chestand shouting:

"God's bones, let us make a fight of it!"

A sprinkling of soldiers, all dismounted cavalry or gunners, a fewdisheveled officers, had accompanied De Sylva in his flight. Withreckless bravery, he and Russo had tried to rally the troops camped atheadquarters. It was a hopeless effort. Half-breeds can never produce amilitary caste. They may fight valiantly in the line of battle--theywill not face the unknown, the terrible, the harpies that come at night, borne on the hurricane wings of panic. Unhappily, De Sylva and hisbodyguard were the messengers of their own disaster. The cowardly geniusat Pesqueira had planned a surprise. He would not lead it, of course, but in Dom Miguel Barraca he found an eager substitute. It was a coup ofthe Napoleonic order; an infantry attack along the entire front of theLiberationist position cloaked the launching against the center of aformidable body of cavalry. The project was to thrust this lance intothe rebel position, probe it thoroughly, as a surgeon explores a gunshotwound, and extract the offender in the guise of Dom Corria. 

The scheme had proved eminently successful. The Liberationists werecrumpled up, and here was Dom Corria making his last stand. 

He deserved better luck, for he was magnificent in failure. Calm asever, he tried to be shot or captured when the reserves in camp failedhim. Russo and the rest dragged him onward by main force. 

"They want me only, " he urged. "My death will end a useless struggle. Ishall die a little later, when many more of my friends are killed. Whynot die now?"

They would not listen. 

"It is night!" they cried. "The enemy's horses are spent. A determinedstand may give us another chance. "

But it was a forlorn hope. As San Benavides lurched into the _patèo_, the horses of the first pursuing detachment strained up the slope betweenhouse and encampment. 

Carmela, all her fire gone, the pallid ghost of the vengeful woman whowould have shattered her lover's skull were the revolver loaded, was thefirst to see him. She actually crouched in terror. Her tongue wasparched. If she uttered some low cry, none heard her. 

Dom Corria, striving to dispose his meager garrison as best he could, methis trusted lieutenant. His face lit with joy. 

"Ah, my poor Salvador!" he cried. "I thought we had lost you at theford!"

"No, " said San Benavides. "I ran away!"

Even in his dire extremity, De Sylva smiled. 

"Would that others had run like you, my Salvador!" he said. "Then weshould have been in Pernambuco to-morrow. "

The Brazilian looked around. His eye dwelt heedlessly on the coweringCarmela. He was searching for Iris, who had been compelled by Coke andBulmer and her uncle to take shelter behind the score of sailors whostill remained at Las Flores. 

"It is true, nevertheless, " he said laconically. "I knew the game waslost, so I came here to try and save a lady. "

"Ah--our Carmela? You thought of her?"

"No!"

Then the spell passed from Carmela. She literally threw herself on herlover. 

"Yes, it is true!" she shrieked. "He came to save me, but I preferred todie here--with you, father--and with him. "

Dom Corria did not understand these fire-works, but he had no time forthought. Bullets were crashing through the closed Venetians. Light theymust have, or the defense would become an orgy of self-destruction, yetlight was their most dangerous foe when men were shooting from the somberdepths of the trees. 

The assailants were steadily closing around the house. Their riflescovered every door and window. Each minute brought up fresh bands intens and twenties. At last, Barraca himself arrived. Some members ofhis staff made a hasty survey of the situation. There were some threehundred men available, and, in all probability, Dom Corria could notmuster one-sixth of that number. It was a crisis that called for vigor. The cavalry lance was twenty miles from its base, and there was noknowing what accident might reunite the scattered Liberationists. Onecolumn, at least, of the Nationalists had failed to keep its rendezvous, or this last desperate stand at Las Flores would have proved a sheerimpossibility. 

So the house must be rushed, no matter what the cost. This was a war ofleaders. Let Dom Corria fall, and his most enthusiastic supporters wouldpay Dom Miguel's taxes without further parley. A scheme of concertedaction was hastily arranged. Simultaneously, five detachments swarmedagainst the chosen points of assault. One crossed the _patèo_ to theporch, another made for the stable entrance, a third attacked the gardendoor, a fourth assailed the servants' quarters, and the fifth, strongestof all, and inspired by Dom Miguel's presence, battered in the shuttersand tore away the piled up furniture of the ballroom. 

The Nationalist leader's final order was terse. 

"Spare the women; shoot every rebel; do not touch the foreigners unlessthey resist!"

With yells of "Abajo De Sylva!" "Morto por revoltados!" the assailantsclosed in. Neither side owned magazine rifles, so the fight was withmachetes, swords, and bayonets when the first furious hail of lead hadspent itself. No man thought of quarter, nor ceased to stab and thrustuntil he fell. Not even then did some of the half-savage combatantsdesist, and a many a thigh was gashed and boot-protected leg cut to thebone by those murderous hatchet knives wielded by hands which would soonstiffen in death. 

When three hundred desperadoes meet fifty of like caliber in ahand-to-hand conflict--when the three hundred mean to end the business, and the fifty know that they must die--fighting for choice, but die inany event--the resultant encounter will surely be both fierce and brief. And never was fratricidal strife more sanguinary than during the earliestonset within the walls. Each inch of corridor, each plank of theballroom floor, was contested with insane ferocity. This was notwarfare. It savored of the carnage of the jungle. Its sounds were thoseof wild beasts. It smelled of the shambles. 

By one of those queer chances which sometimes decide the hazard betweenlife and death, the window nearest that end of the room where the sailorsstrove to protect a few shrieking women had not been broken in. Here, then, was a tiny bay of refuge; from it the men of the _Andromeda_ andthe _Unser Fritz_, Bulmer, Verity, Iris, and such of the Brazilian ladiesas had not fled to the upper rooms at the initial volley, looked out onan amazing butchery. De Sylva, no longer young, and never a robust man, had been dragged from mortal peril many times by his devoted adherents. Carmela had snatched a machete from the fingers of a dying soldier, andwas fighting like one possessed of a fiend. 

Once, when a combined rush drove the defenders nearly on top of thenon-combatants, Iris would have striven to draw the half-demented girlinto the little haven with the other women. 

But Coke thrust her back, shouting:

"Leave 'er alone. She'll set about you if you touch her!"

Dickey Bulmer, too, who was displaying a fortitude hardly to be expectedin a man of his years and habits, thought that interference was useless. 

"Let 'er do what she can, " he said. "She doesn't know wot is 'appenin'now. If she was on'y watchin' she'd be a ravin' lunatic. God 'elp usall, we've got ourselves into a nice mess!"

Somehow, the old man's Lancashire drawl, with its broad vowels andmisplaced aspirates, exercised a singularly soothing effect on Iris'stensely-strung nerves. It seemed to remove her from that murder-filledarena. It was redolent of home, of quiet streets, of orderly crowdsthronging to the New Brighton sands, of the sober, industrious, God-fearing folk who filled the churches and chapels at each service on aSunday. These men and women of Brazil were her brothers and sisters inthe great comity of nations, yet Heaven knows they did not figure in suchguise during that hour of intense emotions. 

But if Dickey Bulmer's simple words exalted him into the kingdom of theheroic, David Verity occupied a lower plane. Prayers and cursesalternated on his lips. He was stupefied with fear. He had never seenthe lust of slaying in men's eyes, and it mesmerized him. Many of thesailors wanted to join in on behalf of their friends. It needed allCoke's vehemence to restrain them. "Keep out of it, you swabs, " he wouldgrowl. "It's your on'y chanst. This isn't our shindy. Let 'em rip an'be hanged to 'em!" Yet he was manifestly uneasy, and he kept a wary eyeon De Sylva, whom he appraised at a personal value of five thousandpounds "an pickin's. "

A tall, distinguished-looking man, wearing a brilliant uniform, hisbreast decorated with many orders, now appeared on the scene. He shoutedsomething, and the attacking force redoubled their efforts. He raised arevolver, and took deliberate aim at Dom Corria. Coke saw him, and hisbulldog pluck combined with avarice to overcome his common sense. Without thought of the consequences, he sprang into the swaying mob andpulled De Sylva aside. A bullet smashed into the wall behind them. 

"Look out, mister!" he bellowed. "'Ere's a blighter 'oo wants to finishyou quick!"

De Sylva's glance sought his adversary. He produced a revolver whichhitherto had remained hidden in a pocket. Perhaps its bullets were notmeant for an enemy. He fired at the tall man. A violent swerve of thetwo irregular ranks of soldiers screened each from the other. An openingoffered, and the man who had singled out Dom Corria for his specialvengeance fired again. The bullet struck Coke in the breast. Thevaliant little skipper staggered, and sank to the floor. His fiery eyesgazed up into Verity's. 

"Damme if I ain't hulled!" he roared, his voice loud and harsh as if hewere giving some command from the bridge in a gale of wind. 

David dropped to his knees. 

"For Gawd's sake, Jimmie!" he moaned. 

"Yes, I've got it. Sarve me dam well right, too! No business to goag'in me own pore old ship. Look 'ere, Verity, I'm done for! If you getaway from this rotten muss, see to my missus an' the girls. If youdon't--d--n you----"

"Fire!" shouted a strong English voice from without. A withering volleycrashed through the open windows. Full twenty of the assailants fell, Dom Miguel de Barraca among them. There was an instant of terriblesilence, as between the shocks of an earthquake. 

[Illustration: A withering volley crashed through the window]

"Now, come on!" shouted the same voice, and Philip Hozier rushed into theballroom, followed by his scouts and a horde of Brazilian regulars. Noone not actually an eye-witness of that thrilling spectacle would believethat a fight waged with such determined malevolence could stop sosuddenly as did that fray in Las Flores. It was true, now as ever, thatmen of a mixed race cannot withstand the unforeseen. Dom Miguel fallen, and his cohort decimated by the leaden storm that tore in at them from anunexpected quarter, the rest fled without another blow. They raced madlyfor their horses, to find that every tethered group was in the hands ofthis new contingent. Then the darkness swallowed them. Dom Miguel'scavalry was disbanded. 

At once the medley within died down. Men had no words as yet to meetthis astounding development. Dom Corria went to where his rival lay. Dom Miguel was dying. His eyes met De Sylva's in a strange look ofrecognition. He tried to speak, but choked and died. 

Then the living President stooped over the dead one. He murmuredsomething. Those near thought afterward that he said:

"Is it worth it? Who knows!"

But he was surely President now; seldom have power and place been morehardly won. 

His quiet glance sought Philip. 

"Thank you, Mr. Hozier, " he said. "All Brazil is your debtor. As forme, I can never repay you. I owe you my life, the lives of my daughterand of many of my friends, and the success of my cause. "

Philip heard him as in a dream. He was looking at Iris. Her eyes wereshining, her lips parted, yet she did not come to him. By her side wasstanding a white-haired old man, an Englishman, a stranger. Bending overCoke, and wringing his hands in incoherent sorrow, was another elderlyBriton. A fear that Philip had never before known gripped hisheartstrings now. He was pale and stern, and his forehead was seamedwith foreboding. 

"Who is that with Miss Yorke?" he said to Dom Corria. 

The President had a rare knack of answering a straight question in astraight way. 

"A Mr. Bulmer, I am told, " he said. 

There was a pause. General Russo, carved from head to foot, but so stoutwithal that his enemies' weapons had reached no vital part, approached. He thumped his huge stomach. 

"We must rally our men, " he said. "If we collect even five thousandto-night----"

"Yes, " said De Sylva, "I will come. Before I go, Mr. Hozier, let merepeat that I and Brazil are grateful. "

"May the devil take both you and Brazil!" was Philip's most ungraciousreply, and he turned and strode out into the night. 

CHAPTER XVI

WHEREIN THE PRESIDENT PRESIDES

Before the exciting story so rudely interrupted is resumed, it may bewell to set down in their sequence the queer workings of fortune whichled to Philip's timely reappearance at Las FIores. 

His troop of scouts consisted of twenty-eight men. Five were sailorsand firemen from the _Andromeda_; three were Germans from the _UnserFritz_. But the whole eight were ex-soldiers, and one man-at-armstrained on the European model is worth ten of the Brazilian product. The remaining twenty were hillmen, good riders, excellent shots, andacquainted with every yard of the wild country within a radius of ahundred miles. They would fight anybody if well led, and here it maybe observed that when Philip called on them to storm the ballroom, hesaid, "Come on!"; between which curt command and its congener, "Go on!"these half-breed warriors drew a fine distinction. The languagedifficulty was surmounted partly by an interpreter in the person of oneof the Germans, who spoke English and had lived in Bahia, partly bysigns, and largely by Philip's methods as a leader. 

He never asked his men to do anything that he did not do himself, andthey were never dubious as to his tactics, since he invariably closedwith any Nationalist detachment met during the day's operations. 

About mid-day, then, they came upon the advance guard of a column sentoff a week earlier by the expert at Pesqueira with instructions toarrive at Las Flores before sunset that very day. Instantly thetwenty-nine charged; with equal celerity the advance guard bolted. From the crest of a rocky pass Philip looked down on a column of fullya thousand men. The situation was critical. It called for prompthandling. Five men held the horses; twenty-three spread themselvesamong the rocks; Philip unslung his carbine; and twenty-four riflesindulged in long-range practice on a narrow mountain path crowded withmen and animals. 

Nothing more was needed. It has been noted already that the Braziliansdisliked long-range shooting. There was a stampede. The scoutsoccupied the ridge until sundown, and were returning leisurely toreport the presence of the column, when they fell in with the firstbatch of fugitives from the valley. Forthwith, Philip became a generaland each scout an officer. They reasoned and whacked the runaways intoobedience, picked up quite a number of men who were willing enough tofight if told what was expected of them--and the rest was a matter ofsimple strategy such as Macaulay's schoolboy would exhibit in theescalade of a snow fort. But it was a near thing. Five minutes later, and Hozier might have seized the presidency himself. 

And now, as to the night, and the next day. 

Russo and his diminished staff took Philip's little army as a nucleus. Brazil had duly elected Dom Corria, as provided by the statute, and thenews spread like wild fire. Before morning, the Liberationists wereten thousand strong. Before night closed the roads again, thePesqueira genius wrote to Dom Corria under a flag of truce, and pointedout that he served the _President_, not any crank who said he wasPresident, but the honored individual in whom the people of Brazilplaced their trust. Dom Corria replied in felicitous terms, and, asthe newspapers say, the incident ended. The navy sulked for a while, because they held that Russo's treatment of the _Andorinha_ was notcricket, or baseball, or whatsoever game appeals most to the Braziliansportsman. It was not even professional football, they said; but anacrimonious discussion was closed by a strong hint from the Treasurythat pay-day might be postponed indefinitely if too much were made of aregrettable accident to the guns of the Maceio artillery. 

Meanwhile, Dom Corria, the man who did not forget, was puzzled by twocircumstances not of national importance. San Benavides, never ademonstrative lover where Carmela was concerned, was a changed man. Hewas severely wounded during the fight, and Carmela nursed himassiduously, but there could be no doubt that he was under her thumb, and would remain there. The indications were subtle but unmistakable. Carmela even announced the date of their marriage. 

Dom Corria remembered, of course, what San Benavides and his daughterhad said when they all met in the ballroom. It seemed to him thatSalvador was telling the truth and that Carmela was fibbing on thatoccasion. But he let well enough alone. It was good for Salvador thathe should obey Carmela. He blessed them, and remarked that a really"smart" wedding would be just the thing to inaugurate the new reign atRio de Janeiro. 

He was far more perplexed by the untimely wrath of Philip Hozier. Hethought of it for at least five minutes next morning. Then he soughtDickey Bulmer, who had just quitted Coke's bedroom, and was examiningthe rare shrubs that bordered the lawn. 

"What news of that brave man?" asked Dom Corria, and his deep voicevibrated with real feeling. 

"First-rate, sir, " said Dickey. "The bullet is extracted, and thedoctor says 'e'll soon be all right. Leastways, that's wot Iris tellsme. I can't talk Portuguese meself, an' pore old Jimmie's langwidgeain't fit to be repeated. "

The President laughed. 

"He is what you call a bundle of contradictions, eh?--a rough fellowwith the heart of a bull. But he saved my life, and that naturallycounts for a good deal with me. And how is your niece after lastnight's terrible experience?"

"My niece? D'ye mean Iris?" demanded Bulmer, obviously somewhatannoyed. 

"Yes. "

"She's not my niece; she's----"

"Your grand-daughter, then?"

"No, sir. That young lady 'as done me the honor of promisin' to be mywife. "

"Oh!" said Dom Corria, fixing his brilliant eyes on Bulmer's vexed face. 

"There's no 'Oh' about it, " growled Dickey. "It was all cut an' driedweeks ago, an' she 'asn't rued of 'er bargain yet, as far as I can makeout. "

"You mean that the marriage was arranged before the _Andromeda_sailed?" said Dom Corria gently. 

"W'y, of course. It couldn't very well be fixed after, could it?"

"No--not as between you and her. I can vouch for that. Forgive me, Mr. Bulmer--I have a daughter of marriageable age, you know, and Ispeak as a parent--do you think that it is a wise thing for a man ofyour years to marry a girl of twenty?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't do it. "

"But may it not be selfish?"

Then downright Lancashire took hold of the argument. 

"Look 'ere, wot are you drivin' at?" demanded Dickey, now in a whiteheat of anger. He had yet to learn that the President preferred astraight-forward way of talking. 

"I want you to forego this marriage, " he said. 

"Why?"

"Because that charming girl loves another man, but feels that she isbound to you. I understand the position at last. Mr. Bulmer, youcannot wish to break her heart and drive that fine young fellow, PhilipHozier, to despair. Come, now! Let you and me reason this thingtogether. Possibly, when she agreed to marry you she did not know whatlove is. She is high-minded, an idealist, the soul of honor. Whatother woman would have consented to be separated from her friends onFernando Noronha merely because it increased their meager chances ofsafety? How few women, loving a man like Philip Hozier, who is assuredof a splendid reward for his services to this State, would resolutelydeny the claims of her own heart in order to keep her word?"

Bulmer had never heard anyone speak with the crystal directness of DomCorria. Each word chipped away some part of the fence which he haddeliberately erected around his own intelligence. Certain facts hadfound crevices in the barrier already; Dom Corria broke down wholesections. But he was a hard man, and stubborn. Throughout his longlife he had not been of yielding habit, and his heart was set on Iris. 

"You are mighty sure that she is wrapped up in this young spark, " hegrowled. 

"Were I not, I would not have interfered. Take my advice. First, askyourself an honest question. Then ask the girl. She will answer. Ipromise you that. "

"I'm a rich man, " persisted Dickey. 

"Yes. "

"Nobody forced 'er, one way or the other. "

"Possibly. One wonders, though, why she hid herself on the_Andromeda_. "

"It's true, I tell you. David said----"

"Who is David?"

"Her uncle. "

"In England, I take it, if a man wishes to marry a girl he does not wooher uncle. Of course, these customs vary. Here, in Brazil----"

Then Bulmer said something about Brazil that was not to be expectedfrom one of his staid demeanor. In fact, he regarded Brazil as thecause of the whole trouble, and his opinion concerning that marvelousland coincided with Hozier's. He turned and walked away, looking atrifle older, a trifle more bent, perhaps, than when he came out of thehouse. 

An hour later, Dom Corria and Carmela met in a corridor. They werediscussing arrangements for a speedy move to the capital when Iris raninto them. Her face was flushed, and she had been crying. Much toCarmela's amazement, the English girl clasped her round the neck andkissed her. 

"Tell your father, my dear, that he has been very good to me, " shewhispered; then her face grew scarlet again, and she hurried away. 

"Excellent!" said the President. "That old man is a gentleman. Hisfriend is not. Yet they are very much alike in other respects. Oddthing! Carmela _cara_, can you spare a few minutes from your invalid?"

"Yes, father. "

"Go, then, and find that young Englishman, Philip Hozier. Tell himthat the engagement between Miss Yorke and Mr. Bulmer is broken off. "

Carmela's black eyes sparkled. That wayward blood of hers surged inher veins, but Dom Corria's calm glance dwelt on her, and the spasmpassed. 

"Yes, father, " she said dutifully. 

He stroked his chin as he went out to pronounce a funeral oration onthose who had fallen during the fight. 

"I think, " said he reflectively, "I think that Carmela dislikes thatgirl. I wonder why?"

Philip had never, to his knowledge, seen the Senhora De Sylva. Wattsspoke of her, remarking that she was "a reel pleasant young lady, a bitflighty, p'raps, but, then, 'oo could tell wot any gal would do oneminnit from the next?" And that was all. 

It was, therefore, something more than a surprise when thesallow-faced, willowy girl, black-haired, black-eyed, and most demureof manner, whom he remembered to have met in the gateway of Las Floresearly on the previous day, came to his tent and asked for him. 

She introduced herself, and Philip was most polite. 

"My father sent me----" she began. 

"I ought to have waited on the President, " he said, seeing that shehesitated, "but several of my men are wounded, and we have so fewdoctors. "

She smiled, and Carmela could redeem much of her plainness of featureby the singular charm of her smile. 

"Dom Corria is a good doctor himself, " she said. 

"His skill will be much appreciated in Brazil at the present moment, "said he, rather bewildered. 

"He mends broken hearts, " she persisted. 

"Ah, a healer, indeed!" but he frowned a little. 

"He is in demand to-day. He asked me to tell you of one mostsuccessful operation. The--er--the engagement between Miss IrisYorke--is that the name?--and Mr. --Mr. --dear me----"

"Bulmer, " scowled Philip, a block of ice in the warm air of Brazil. 

"Yes, that is it--well--it is ended. She is free--for a little while. "

There was a curious bleaching of Philip's weather-tanned face. Ittouched a chord in Carmela's impulsive nature. 

"It is all right, " she nodded. "You can go to her. "

She left him there, more shaken than he had ever been by thunderous seaor screaming bullet. 

"They are cold, these English, " she communed, as she passed up theslope to the house. "It takes something to rouse them. What would hehave said were he in Salvador's place last night!"

It did not occur to her that Philip could not possibly have been inSalvador's place, since God has made as many varieties of men as ofberries, whereof some are wholesome and some poisonous, yet they allhave their uses. And she might have modified her opinion of hiscoldness had she seen the manner of his meeting with Iris. 

Visiting the sick is one of the Christian virtues, so Philip visitedCoke. Iris had just finished writing a letter, partly dictated, andmuch altered in style, to Mrs. James Coke, Sea View, Ocean Road, Birkenhead, when a gentle tap brought her to the door. She opened it. Her wrist was seized, and she was drawn into the corridor. She had nooption in the matter. The tall young man who held her wrist proceededto squeeze the breath out of her, but she was growing so accustomed todeeds of violence that she did not even scream. 

"There is a British chaplain at Pernambuco, " was Philip's incoherentremark. 

"I must ask my uncle, " she gasped. 

"No. Leave that to me. No man living shall say 'Yes' or 'No' to mewhere you are concerned, Iris. "

"Do not be hard with him, Philip dear. He was always good to me, and--and--I have grown a wee bit afraid of you. "

"Afraid!"

"Yes. You are so much older, so much sterner, than when you and Ilooked at the Southern Cross together from the bridge of the_Andromeda_. "

"I was a boy then, Iris. I am a man now. I have fought, and loved, and suffered. And what of you, dear heart? We went through thefurnace hand in hand. What of the girl who has come forth a woman?"

There was an open window at the end of the passage. Watts had bought, or borrowed, or looted a bottle of wine. Schmidt and he were in ashaded arbor beneath, and his voice came to them:

 "It is always fair weather When good fellows meet together . . . "

But another voice, hoarse as a foghorn, boomed through the door whichIris had left ajar. 

"Bring 'er in 'ere, you swab. D--n your eyes, if you come courtin' mynurse, you'll 'ave to do it in my room or not at all. Wot the----"

"Come in, dear, " said Iris. "The doctor says he is not to excitehimself. And he will be so glad to see you. He has been asking foryou all day. "

 * * * * * *

At Pernambuco, his excellency the President of the Republic of Brazilwas waited on by Admiral Prince Heinrich von Schnitzenhausen, who wasattended by an imposing armed guard. After compliments, the admiralstated that his Imperial master wished to be informed as to the truthor otherwise of a circumstantial statement made by the German Consul atMaceio, and confirmed by functionaries at Pernambuco, that on a certaindate, to wit, September the 2d, he, Dom Corria De Sylva, aided andabetted by a number of filibusters, did unlawfully seize andsequestrate the steamship _Unser Fritz_, the said steamship being theproperty of German subjects and flying the German flag. 

Though the admiral's sentence was much longer than its Englishtranslation, it only contained a dozen words. Its sound was fearsomein consequence, and its effect ought to have been portentous. But DomCorria was unmoved. 

"There is some mistake, " said he. 

"Exactly, " said the admiral, "an-error-the-most-serious-and-not-easily-rectifiable. "

"On your part, " continued Dom Corria. "The vessel you name is theproperty of my friend and colleague Dom Alfonso Pondillo, of Maceio. He purchased and paid for her on September 1st. Here is the receipt ofthe former owners, given to the Deutsche Bank in Paris, and handed toSenhor Pondillo's agents. You will observe the date of thetransaction. "

The admiral read. He read again. 

"Ach Gott!" he cried angrily. "There are somenever-to-be-depended-upon fools in the world, and especially inHamburg. "

"Everywhere, " agreed Dom Corria blandly. Carmela's memory was notquite of the hereditary order. She had forgotten, for three wholedays, that the letter containing the receipt was in her pocket. 

 * * * * * *

When Coke was pronounced fit for comfortable travel, David Verity andDickey Bulmer conveyed him home. They took with them drafts on aLondon bank for amounts that satisfied every sort of claim for thesinking of the _Andromeda_. Judged by the compensation given to thevessel's survivors, there could be no doubt that the dependants of themen who lost their lives would be well provided for. Even Watts vowedthat the President had behaved reel 'andsome, and, as a token ofregeneration, swore that never another drop o' sperrits would cross hislips. Wines and beers, of course, were light refreshments of adifferent order. Schmidt, too, sublimely heedless of the diplomaticstorm he had caused, seemed to be contented. He taught Watts "_Es gibtnur eine Kaiser Stadt_, " and Watts taught him the famous chanty of the_Alice_ brig and her marooned crew. But the latter effusion wasrehearsed far from Coke's deck-chair, because the captain of the mailsteamer said that although he liked Coke personally, some of the ladypassengers might complain. 

At odd moments David and Dickey Bulmer discussed the partnership. Theyoung people would be home in two months, and then Philip was to comeinto the business. 

"We're growing old, David, " said Dickey. "I've got plenty of money, an' you'll 'ave a tidy bit now, but there's one thing neether of us canbuy, and that's youth. "

"I don't want to be young again, " said David, "but I'd like to go backjust a year or so--no more. 

"Why?"

"Well, there's bin times w'en--w'en I'd 'ave acted different. Wot doyou say, Jimmie?"

Coke, thus appealed to, glowered at his employer. 

"Say!" he growled. "I say nothink. I know you, David. "

Philip and Iris attended Carmela's wedding during their honeymoon. Thecathedral at Rio de Janeiro was packed, and Iris was quiteinconspicuous among the many richly-attired ladies who graced theceremony by their presence. Nevertheless, Colonel Salvador SanBenavides favored her with a peculiar smile as he led his bride downthe central aisle. 

She laughed, blushed, and looked at her husband. 

"Yes, I saw him, " he whispered. "But I never feared him. It was youthat made me sit up. By the way, old girl, let us cut out thereception. I want to call at the bank, and at a shop in the RuaGrande. You will be interested. "

Well, being a good and loving wife, she was interested deeply. Tenthousand pounds was Dom Corria's financial estimate of the servicesrendered by Philip, and Iris was absolutely dumfounded by the total inmilreis. But her voice came back when Philip took her to a jeweler's, and the man produced a gold cross on which blazed four gloriousdiamonds. Dom Corria had given her a necklace many times morevaluable; but this----

"For remembrance!" said Philip. 

"Oh, my dear, my dear!" she murmured, and her eyes grew moist. 

THE END