[Transcriber's Note: The author refers to George Fleming's brother asboth "Harry" and "Henry" in this story. The original naming has beenretained. ]

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[Illustration: "PERHAPS I COULD DRESS THE HURT. " SUGGESTED MISS WALLACEA LITTLE SHYLY. Frontispiece. P. 109]

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THE PIRATE OF PANAMA

A Tale of the Fight for Buried Treasure

ByWILLIAM MacLEOD RAINE

Author of "Wyoming, " "A Texas Ranger, " "Bucky O'Connor, ""Brand Blotters, " "Mavericks, " Etc. 

G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANYPUBLISHERS--NEW YORK

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Copyright, 1914, byG. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY

The Pirate of Panama

Press ofJ. J. Little & Ives Co. New York

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TOCAPTAIN FORRESTER

FIRST MATE ROBERT, QUARTERMASTER WILLIAMAND BO'SUN KENNETH

THIS VOYAGE OF THE _ARGOS_ IS DEDICATED

Ho, gallant tars and true, fall to!Up anchor, lads, and sheets unfurl. Let engines throb a low tattoo;It's "All aboard for Panama. "

The snell wind whistles shrill o'erhead, The bullets spatter thick below, By candle light we count our dead, While we are bound for Panama. 

For all true men waits hidden gold, 'Gainst all true hearts fight pirate foes, Who bears him with a courage boldWill land with us at Panama. 

Into the deep drive strong and sure, Straight as an arrow for the goal, From off the course let nothing lure, The breeze is fair for Panama. 

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CONTENTS

 CHAPTER PAGE

 I. A Scrap of Paper 7 II. Captain Bothwell Interrupts 22 III. Concerning Doubloon Spit 39 IV. The Man With the Secret 51 V. We Find a Ship 61 VI. The Missing Corner 72 VII. In the Fog 84 VIII. Aboard the Argos 91 IX. Bothwell Makes a Move 101 X. Another Stowaway 110 XI. Taking Stock 123 XII. My Unexpected Guest 137 XIII. Mutiny 147 XIV. The Battle 161 XV. The Morning After 168 XVI. The Night Attack 178 XVII. A Taste of the Inquisition 189 XVIII. Anchored Hearts 207 XIX. Sense and Nonsense 214 XX. The Big Ditch 225 XXI. A Message from Bucks 237 XXII. Treasure-trove 250 XXIII. Aboard the Schooner 266 XXIV. A Rat in a Trap 280 XXV. A Rescue 292 XXVI. The Last Brush 299 XXVII. In Harbor 312

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ILLUSTRATIONS

 PAGE

"Perhaps I could dress the hurt, " suggested Miss Wallace alittle shyly _Frontispiece_ 109

"Crikey! I didn't know that was there, " Jimmie cried 240

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THE PIRATE OF PANAMA

CHAPTER I

A SCRAP OF PAPER

It was a dismal, sodden morning, with heavy clouds banked in the westernsky. Rain had sloshed down since midnight so that the gutter in front ofme was a turbid little river. 

A chill wind swept across the city and penetrated to the marrow. Fromthe summit of the hill, three blocks above me, my car was sliding down, but I clung to the curb to postpone until the last moment a plunge intothe flowing street. 

Since I was five-and-twenty, in tip-top health, and Irish by descent, Iwhistled while the windswept drops splashed the shine from my shoes. Rain or sun, 'twas a good little old world, though, faith! I could havewished it a less humdrum one. 

For every morning I waited at that same time and place for the same carto take me to my desk in the offices of Kester & Wilcox, and every day Idid the same sort of routine grubbing in preparation of cases for moreexperienced lawyers to handle. 

Sometimes it flashed across me that I was a misfit. Nature had cast mefor the part of a soldier of fortune, and instead I was giving myservices to help a big corporation escape the payment of damages foraccidents caused by its cars. I had turned my back on the romance oflife. Well, it was the penalty one must pay to win success. 

And while I stood on the curb there fluttered down to me from the dunheavens an invitation to the great adventure my soul longed for. It cameon a gust of wind and lay on the sidewalk at my feet, a torn sheet ofpaper yellowed with age. 

I had no premonition of what that faded bit of parchment meant, nopicture of men in deadly battle, of the flash of knives or the gleam ofrevolvers, of lusty seamen lying curled on the deck where they hadfallen at the call of sudden death. The only feeling that stirred in mewas a faint curiosity at the odd markings on the sheet. 

My foot moved forward and pinned the paper to the cement walk. Should Ipick it up? Of what use? It would turn out to be only some Chineselaundry bill. Already the gong of the street-car was not more than ablock away as it swept down the hill. 

Was it some faint sound that drew my eyes up? Or was I answering thecall of my destiny when my lifted gaze met the figure of a young womanframed in a second-story window? She was leaning far out, with armstretched down and fingers opened wide. 

Behind her stood a man, also out of the window to his waist. One of hishands clutched her wrist, the other reached toward hers. That he hadbeen trying to take from her the paper she had flung away was an easyguess. 

I had but the fraction of a second before my car was slowing for thecrossing, but it was long enough to read in his dark face a malignantrage, in her fair, flushed one a defiant triumph. Stooping, I gatheredthe document that lay under my foot, then ran forward and swung to theplatform of the car. 

If there had been time for second thought I might have stayed to see thedrama out, or I might have left the cause of quarrel where it lay. As itwas I had done neither one thing nor the other. Having yielded toimpulse so far as to pick up the paper, I had then done the conventionalthing and ignored the little scene above. 

But when I glanced back up the hill I glimpsed a man flying bareheadedfrom a doorway and pursuing the car with gestures of impotent fury. 

All the way down to the business quarter the odd affair challenged myinterest. What did it mean? The picture in the window was no laughingromp meant to end in kisses. So much I was willing to swear. There waspassion in both the faces. 

Out of those two lives I had snatched a vivid moment, perhaps one ofmany common to them, perhaps the first their intersecting life-lines haddeveloped. 

Was the man her husband? I was not willing to think so. More likely abrother, I persuaded myself. For it was already being borne in upon methat freakish chance had swept me into the orbit of the thing we spellRomance. 

A petty domestic quarrel suggested itself as the obvious solution, butthe buoyant youth in me refused any such tame explanation. For the girlwas amazingly pretty. 

After a glance at it I put the crumpled paper in my pocketbook. In thatcrowded car, hanging to a strap, I could make nothing of it. At theoffice my time belonged to Kester & Wilcox until noon, for I was stillin that preliminary stage of my legal career during which I found itconvenient to exchange my inexperience for fifteen dollars a week. Aclouded real-estate title was presumably engaging my attention, butbetween my mind and the abstract kept jumping a map with the legend"Doubloon Spit" above it. 

Faith, the blood sang in my veins. The scent of adventure was in mynostrils. A fool you may think me, but I was already on the hunt forburied treasure. Half a dozen times I had the paper out furtively, andas soon as my hour of release came I cleared the desk and spread theyellow, tattered document upon it. 

The ink had been originally red, but in places it was faded almost toillegibility. The worn edges at the folds showed how often it had beenopened and scanned. One lower corner had been torn away, leaving perhapsseven-eighths of the original manuscript. Yet in spite of its imperfectstate of preservation I found this relic of a dead and forgotten pastpulse-stirring. 

Before me lay the map of a peninsula, the upper part sketched in vaguelybut the toe marked apparently with the greatest care. The first detailthat caught my eye was a sketch of a brig in the bay, beneath which waswritten:

"Here _Santa Theresa_ went to Hell. "

It was plain that the coast line was charted accurately so as to showthe precise location of the inlets. It was a contour map, giving thehills, sand reaches, and groves. At the nearest one of these last wasjotted down the words: "Umbrela Tree. "

A little cross had been drawn near the foot of a hill. From this a longline ran into the bay with a loop at the end in which had been printedneatly: "Where Lobardi croked. Good riddance. "

Not far from this were three little circles, beneath which was one wordin capitals, "ITTE. "

My heart leaped like an unleashed foxhound taking the trail. What couldit mean but treasure? What had happened to the _Santa Theresa_? Had someone helped Lobardi to "croke" by cracking his skull? Could that dim, redink once have been, the life blood in a man's veins?

Here was food enough to fire the blood of a cool-headed Yankee, letalone that of a mad Irishman. I caught a vision of a boatload ofred-turbaned buccaneers swarming up the side of a brig; saw the swish ofcutlases and the bellying smoke of pistols; beheld the strangely garbedseadogs gathered around an open chest of yellow gold bars shining in thesun. 

For an eyebeat it was all clear to me as day. Then I laughed aloud atmyself in returning sanity. I was in the twentieth century, not theeighteenth. An imagination so vivid that it read all this from a scrapof paper picked from the gutter needed curbing. I repocketed the chartand went to lunch. 

But I found I could not laugh myself out of my interest. The mystery ofit drew me, despite myself. While I waited for my chop I had the map outagain, studying it as a schoolboy does a paper-backed novel behind hisgeography. 

Beneath the map were some closely written lines of directions forfinding "itte, " whatever that might be. As to that my guess neverwavered. 

Whoever had drawn the map had called the peninsula "Doubloon Spit. " Why?Clearly because he and his fellow buccaneers had buried there theill-gotten treasure they had gained from piracy. No doubt the _SantaTheresa_ was a gold ship they had waylaid and sunk. 

At my entrance I had taken a little side table, but the restaurant wasfilling rapidly. A man stopped beside my table and took off a froggedovercoat with astrakhan trimmings. He hung this and his hat on a rackand sat down in the chair opposite me. 

Instinctively I had covered the map with a newspaper. With amazement Inow discovered that my _vis-à-vis_ was the villain of the Adventure ofthe Young Lady and the Chart, as the author of the "New Arabian Nights"would have phrased it. 

The man was in a vile humor, so much could be seen at a glance. Withoutdoing me the honor of a single glance he stared moodily in front of him, his heavy black brows knit to a grim frown. 

He was a splendid specimen of physical manhood, big and well-muscled, with a broad, flat back and soldierly carriage. That he was a leader ofmen was an easy deduction, though the thin, straight mouth and the hardglitter in the black eyes made the claim that he would never lead towardaltruism. 

In quick, short puffs he smoked a cigarette, and as soon as he hadfinished it he lit a second. Men all around us were waiting their turn, but I observed that the first lift of his finger brought an attendant. 

"Tenderloin with mushrooms--asparagus tips--strong blackcoffee--cognac, " he ordered with the curtness of an army officersnapping commands at a trooper. His voice was rich and cultivated, buthad a very distinctly foreign quality in spite of the fact that hisEnglish was faultless. 

I took advantage of the distraction of the waiter's presence to slip themap from the table into my pocket. After this I breathed freer, for itis scarcely necessary to say that in the struggle for the map--and bythis time I had quite made up my mind that there would be fought out acampaign for its possession--I was wholly on the side of the youngwoman. 

But as yet I knew none of the facts, and so was not in a position toengage with him to advantage. I called for the check and took my coatand hat from the rack. 

Then I made my first mistake. I should have carried my raincoat to thedoor before putting it on. As I buttoned it recognition began tostruggle faintly into his eyes. I waited for no further developments. 

But as I went out of the door I could see him hurrying forward. Instantly I turned to the right, dodged into a tobacco shop, ran swiftlythrough it to the surprise of the proprietor, and found myself in analley. I took this in double-quick time and presently had lost myself inthe hurrying crowds on Kearney Street. Five minutes later I was in theelevator on the way to our office. 

I set to work resolutely, but my drifting thoughts went back to themilitary man with the frogged coat, to the distractingly pretty girl whodid not want him to have the map, and to that spit of land lapped byPacific waves in a latitude and longitude that shall be nameless forreasons that will hereafter appear. 

It must have been fifteen minutes after my return that our office boy, Jimmie, came in to tell me that a lady wanted to see me. 

"She's a peach, too, " he volunteered with the genial impudence thatcharacterized him. 

This brought me back to earth, a lawyer instead of a treasure seeker, and when my first client crossed the threshold she found me deep in avolume on contracts, eight other large and bulky reference books piledon the table. 

The name on the card Jimmie had handed me was Miss Evelyn Wallace. Irose at once to meet her. 

"You are Mr. John Sedgwick?" asked a soft, Southern voice that fell onmy ears like music. 

"I am. "

My bow stopped abruptly. I stifled an exclamation. The young woman wasthe one I had seen framed in a second-story window some hours earlier. 

"I think you know me by sight, " she said, not smiling exactly, butlittle dimples lurking in her cheeks ready to pounce out at the firstopportunity. "That is, unless you have forgotten?"

Forgotten! I might have told her it would be hard to forget thatpiquant, oval face of exquisite coloring, and those blue eyes in whichthe sunshine danced like gold. I might have, but I did not. Instead, Imurmured that my memory served me well enough. 

"I have come for the paper you were good enough to take care of for me, Mr. Sedgwick. It belongs to me--the paper you picked up this morning. "

From my pocket I took the document and handed it to her. 

"May I ask how you found out who I was, Miss Wallace?"

You might have thought that roses had brushed her cheeks and left theircolor there. 

"I asked a policeman, " she confessed, just a little embarrassed. 

"To find you a man in a gray ulster, medium height, weight, andcomplexion, " I laughed. 

"I had seen you come from the Graymount once or twice, and by describingyou to the landlady he discovered who you were and where you worked, "she explained. 

Her touch of shyness had infected me, too. It was as if unwittingly Ihad intruded on her private affairs, had seen that morning an incidentnot meant for the eyes of a stranger. We avoided the common interestbetween us, though both of us were thinking of it. 

Later I was to learn that she had been as eager to approach the subjectas I. But she could not very well invite a stranger into her difficultyany more than I could push myself into her confidence. 

"I hope you find the paper exactly as you left it, or rather as it leftyou, " I stammered at last. 

She had put the map in her hand-bag, but at my words she took it out, not to verify my suggestion but to prolong for a moment her stay inorder to find courage to broach the difficulty. For she had come to theoffice in desperation, determined to confide in me if she liked my faceand felt I was to be trusted. 

"Yes. It was torn at the moment I threw it away. My cousin has the otherpart. It is a map. "

"So I noticed. My impression was that the paper was yours. I examined itto see whether it held your name and address. "

Her blue eyes met mine shyly. 

"Did it--interest you at all?"

"Indeed, and it did. Nothing in a long time has interested me more. "

I might have made an exception in favor of the owner of the document, but once more I decided to move with discretion. 

"You understood it?" Her soft voice trailed upward so that herdeclaration was in essence a question. 

"I am thinking it was only a wild guess I made. "

"I'd like right well to hear it. "

My eyes met hers. 

"Buried treasure. "

With eager little nods she assented. 

"Right, sir; treasure buried by pirates early in the nineteenth century. We have reason to think it has never been lifted. "

"Good reason?"

"The best. Except the copy I have, this map is the only one inexistence. Only four men saw the gold hidden. Two of them were killed bythe others within the hour. The third was murdered by his companion someweeks later. The fourth--but it is a long story. I must not weary youwith it. "

"Weary me, " I cried, and I dare swear my eyes were shining. But there Ipulled myself up. "You're right. I had forgotten. You don't know me. There is no reason why you should tell me the story. "

"That is true, " she asserted. "It is of no concern to you. "

That she was a little rebuffed by my words was plain. I made haste toexplain them. 

"I am meaning that there is no reason why you should trust me. "

"Except your face, " she answered impulsively. "Sir, you are an honestgentleman. Chance, or fate, has thrown you in my way. I must go tosomebody for advice. I have no friends in San Francisco that can helpme--none nearer than Tennessee. You are a lawyer. Isn't it your businessto advise?"

"If you put it that way. But it is only fair to say that I am a veryinexperienced one. To be frank, I've never had a client of my own. "

Faith, her smile was warm as summer sunshine. 

"Then I'll be your first, unless you refuse the case. But it may turnout dangerous. I have no right to ask you to take a risk for me"--sheblushed divinely--"especially since I am able to pay so small a fee. "

"My fee shall be commensurate with my inexperience, " I smiled. "And areyou thinking for a moment that I would let my first case get away fromme at all? As for the danger--well, I'm an Irishman. "

"But it isn't really a law case at all. "

"So much the better. I'll have a chance of winning it then. "

"It will be only a chance. "

"We'll turn the chance into a certainty. "

"You seem very sure, sir. "

"I must, for confidence is all the stock in trade I have, " was my gayanswer. 

From her bag Miss Wallace took the map and handed it to me. 

"First, then, you must have this put in a safety-deposit vault until weneed it. I'm sure attempts will be made to get it. "

"By whom?"

"By my cousin. He'll stick at nothing. If you had met him you wouldunderstand. He is a wonder. I'm afraid of him. His name is BorisBothwell--Captain Bothwell, lately cashiered from the British army forconduct unbecoming a gentleman. In one of his rages he nearly killed aservant. "

"But you are not English, are you?"

"He is my second cousin. He isn't English, either. His father was aScotchman, his mother a Russian. "

"That explains the name--Boris Bothwell. "

Like an echo the words came back to me from over my shoulder. 

"Capt. Boris Bothwell to see you, Mr. Sedgwick. "

In surprise I swung around. The office boy had come in quietly, and hardon his heels was a man in a frogged overcoat with astrakhan trimmings. Not half an hour earlier I had sat opposite him at luncheon. 

CHAPTER II

CAPTAIN BOTHWELL INTERRUPTS

As he moved into the room with his easy, vigorous stride, one could notmiss the impression, of his extraordinary physical power. 

I am an outdoor man myself, but I have never seen the day when I was amatch for Boris Bothwell at feats of strength. Unusually deep in thechest and wide of shoulder, with long, well-packed arms that gave hisbig, sinewy hands a tremendous grip, he was not in the leastmuscle-bound. 

In my junior year I was the champion intercollegiate sprinter of thePacific coast, but I have done a fifty with Bothwell for no less a stakethan my life, and not gained two feet on the man. 

At sight of his cousin he bowed ironically, with the most genial ofmocking smiles. To that smile I despair of doing justice. It was notfrom the lips merely, nor yet was it from the good will in him, but hadits birth apparently of some whimsical thought that for the moment lenthis face a rare charm. A second bow was for me. 

"Mr. John Sedgwick, I presume?"

"At your service, sir. "

He removed his coat leisurely and hung it on the back of a chair. 

"Just so. I've had the devil of a time running you down, but here we areat last. And all's well that ends well. "

"You have business with me?" I asked curtly. 

"Even at the risk of interrupting a _tête-à-tête_ with the most charmingyoung lady under heaven. " His head dipped again with derisive courtesytoward Miss Wallace. "But I need detain you scarce a moment. You foundthis morning a paper I had the misfortune to lose. You will allow me tooffer a thousand thanks for the very good care you have doubtless takenof it and will permit me to relieve you of it. "

He was the very letter of urbanity, but beneath the velvet of his voiceI felt the steel. It lay, too, in the glitter of the cold eyes thatgimleted mine sharply. 

Be sure I gave him back his smile and his insolent _aplomb_. 

"Surely you are mistaken, Captain Bothwell. I recollect finding nothingthat belongs to you. "

"We'll waive that point. You found a paper, " he answered quietly, drawing up a chair and seating himself astride it with his face to theback. 

"I picked up a paper that fell from the hand of Miss Wallace. "

"Exactly. I speak, of course, in the interest of my cousin. If you havereturned it to her my purpose is served. "

Impatient at our fencing, or afraid, perhaps, that I might be deceivedby his suavity, the girl cut in tartly:

"You think you could rob me more successfully next time, Boris?"

His kindly toleration was a lesson in diplomacy. 

"Fie, fie, Evie! A family difference of opinion. I think we must nottrouble Mr. Sedgwick with our little diversions _entre nous_. "

"Unfortunately, you are a day after the fair, Captain Bothwell. MissWallace has already done me the honor to consult me in an advisorycapacity. "

I let him have my declaration of war with the airiest manner in theworld. My spirits were rising with the nearness of the battle, and Ithought it would do our cause not the least harm in the world to let himsee I was not a whit afraid to cross blades. 

"Indeed! Then for the matter in hand I may consider you one of thefamily. I congratulate you, Evie. Shall we say a brother--or acousin--or----"

"It isn't necessary to be a cad, Boris, " she flung back hotly. 

"Pardon me. You are right--neither necessary nor desirable. I offerregrets. " Then of a sudden the apology went out of his face like theflame from a blown candle. He swung curtly around upon me. "Mr. Sedgwick, I must trouble you for the map. "

I will be the last to deny that there was something compelling about theman. He sat there stroking his imperial, while the black eyes of the manheld mine with a grip of steel. Masterful he looked, and masterful Ifound him to the last day of that deadly duel we fought out to a finish. 

In that long moment of suspended animation when only our eyeslived--crossed and felt the temper of each other as with the edge ofgrinding rapiers--we took each the measure of his foe pretty accurately. If I held my own it was but barely. The best I could claim was a drawnbattle. 

"Regretfully I am compelled to decline your request. "

"It is not a request but a demand. Come, sir, the map!" he repeated moreharshly. 

That he would somehow back his demand I did not for an instant doubt, though as to how I was still in the dark. 

"Let _me_ set you right, Captain Bothwell. This is a law office, in thecity of San Francisco, United States of America. I am neither TommyAtkins nor a Russian serf. Therefore, I again decline. "

Coals of fire lay in his eyes. 

"I--want--that--map!"

"So I gather, and as a child you often wanted the moon. But did you getit?" I inquired pleasantly. 

"The map--the map!" He had not raised his voice a note, but I give youmy word his eyes were devilish. He was a dangerous man in an ugly frameof mind. 

"Certainly you are a man of one idea, captain. Show proof of ownershipand I shall be glad to comply with your request. "

"But certainly. "

So quick was his motion that the revolver seemed to have leaped to hishand of its own accord. 

"I give you my word, Mr. John Sedgwick of San Francisco, United Statesof America, that in the event you do not at once hand me that map Ishall blow the top of your head off!"

In a measure I was prepared for this. I told myself that we were in theheart of a great city, in daylight, with the twentieth century settingof a fifteen-story office building. Were I to put my head out of thewindow a thousand hurrying people on Market Street would hear my call. 

Yet I knew that I might as well be alone with him on a desert island forall the help that could reach me. I knew, too, that he was not bluffing. What he said he would do, that he would do. 

My face can on occasion be wooden. 

"Interesting, if true, " I retorted coolly. 

"And absolutely true. Make no mistake about that, Mr. Sedgwick. "

His hand rested on the back of the chair for a support. My eyes lookedstraight into the blue barrel of his weapon. It was a ticklish moment. Icongratulate myself that my nerves were in good condition. My fingersplayed a tattoo upon a sheet of paper on my desk. Beneath that page ofoffice stationery lay the map he wanted. 

"One moment, captain. This is not Russia. Have you considered that thefreedom of my country carries with it disadvantages? You would probablybe hanged by the neck till you were dead. "

His mood had changed, but I knew he was not a whit less dangerousbecause the veneer of suave mockery masked the savagery of the Slav. 

"Not at all. The unwritten law, my friend. I find you insulting mycousin and the hot blood in me boils. I avenge her. Regrettable, ofcourse. Too hasty, perhaps. But--oh well, let bygones be bygones. "

In one breath he had tried and acquitted himself. 

"And do you think that I would agree to your accursed lies?" his cousinasked, white as new-fallen snow. 

"Let us hope so. Otherwise I should have to base my action upon aconstruction less creditable to you. The point is that I shall nothesitate to carry out my promise. We can arrange the details later, mydear. Come, Mr. Sedgwick! Choose!"

"You coward!" flashed his cousin in a blaze of scorn. 

"Not at all, dear Evie. All point of view, I assure you. Mr. Sedgwickhas told you that I take a sporting chance of being scragged. I haven'tthe slightest ill feeling, but--I want what I want. Have you decided, sir?"

He was scarcely two yards from me, but neither his keen gaze nor thepoint of the automatic revolver wandered for a fraction of a second fromme. There was not a single chance to close with him. I was consideringignominious surrender when Miss Wallace saved my face. 

"Can he give you what he hasn't got?" she cried out, her natural courageand her contempt struggling with her fear for me. 

"So he hasn't it, eh?" There was a silence before he went on: "But it isin this room somewhere. You have it or he has it. Now, I wonder which?"He spoke softly, as if to himself, without the least trace ofnervousness or passion. "Yes, that's the riddle. Which of you?"

His eyes released me long enough to shoot a questioning glance at her, for from my face he could read nothing. 

"If you have it, Evie, my cousin, you will perhaps desire to turn itover to me for safe keeping. It will be better, I think. "

"For you or for me?"

He laughed noiselessly, with the manner peculiar to him of having someprivate source of amusement within. 

"Would you shoot me if I didn't agree with you?" she continued. 

"My dear cousin, " he reproved. From his air one might have judged him apained and loving father. 

"Then what will you do?"

"Yes, I really think it will be better, " he murmured with his strangesmile. 

"And I ask again, better for whom?"

"For Mr. Sedgwick, my dear, " he cut back. 

She was plainly taken aback. 

"But--since he hasn't the paper----"

"We'll assume he has it. At least he knows where it is. "

His manner dismissed her definitely from the business in hand. "I mustapologize for my brusqueness, Mr. Sedgwick, but I'm sure you'llunderstand that with a busy man time is money. Believe me, it is withgreat regret I am forced to cut short so promising a career. You're aman after my own heart. I see quite unusual qualities in you that Iwould have found pleasure in cultivating. But I mustn't let my selfishregret interfere with what is for the good of the greatest number. Atbest it's an unsatisfactory world. You're well rid of it. Any lastmessages, by the way?"

He purred out his atrocious mockery as a great cat gifted with speechmight have done while playing with the mouse it meant to destroy. 

"I'd like to make it clear to you what a villain you are--but I despairof finding words to do justice to the subject. As for your threat, itis absurd. You'd hang, to a certainty, on the testimony of MissWallace. "

He shrugged his broad shoulders. 

"Life is full of risks. We all have to take them, and for my part itlends a zest. Unfortunately, if you take this risk you will not be in aposition later to realize that your judgment was at fault. That, however, is your business and not mine, " he concluded cheerfully, lifting his weapon slightly and taking aim. 

"For the last time---- Do you give me the map, or do I give you a passto kingdom come?"

The girl moved forward so that she stood directly between me and theweapon. She was taking a paper from her hand-bag, but she did not lowerher eyes to direct her hands in their search. 

"I reckon I couldn't make you understand how I despise you--and hateyou! I'd rather be kin to the poorest beggar who sweeps the streets downthere than to you, " she flamed, flinging before him a paper. 

Warily he picked it up and glanced at it, still covering me carefully. 

"This is the map, is it?"

"You may see for yourself, " she blazed. 

"It is really very good of you to ask me to keep it for you, Evie. I'lltake good care of it--not a doubt of that. It's far better in my handsthan yours, for of course you might be robbed. "

His impudent smile derided her contempt. For me--I wouldn't have facedthat look of hers for twenty maps. 

"We're not through with you yet, " I told him. 

In gay reproof he shook a finger at me. 

"Ah! There speaks the lawyer. You'll bring an action, will you?"

It annoyed me to be playing so poor a part before Miss Wallace. 

"You're an infernal scoundrel!"

"I could argue you out of that uncharitable opinion if I had time, Mr. Sedgwick. But I'm devilishly _de trop_--the superfluous third, you know. My dear cousin frowns at me. 'Pon my word, I don't blame her. But you'llexcuse me for intruding, won't you? I plead the importance of mybusiness. And I'm very glad of an excuse for meeting you formally, Mr. Sedgwick. The occasion has been enjoyable and will, I trust, proveprofitable. I'll not say good-bye--hang me if I do. We'll make it _aurevoir_. Eh?"

An imp of malicious deviltry danced in his eyes. It was not necessary totell me that he was having a pleasant time. 

"_Au revoir_ be it, " I nodded, swallowing my bad temper. 

Once more he gave us his bland smile, a bow of audacious effrontery, then whipped open the door and was gone. 

It may be guessed he left me in no exultant mood. From the first thefellow had taken and held the upper hand. I had come through with nodistinction at all and had let him walk off with the booty. But if therebe those who think my spirit small I ask them to remember that arevolver staring one in the eye is a potent persuader. 

Miss Wallace was the first to speak. 

"You know now why I think him a dreadful man, " she said, taking a deepbreath of relief. 

"Just a moment, " I excused myself, and ran into the outer office. 

Our office Cerberus was sitting at the gate of entry reading theenthralling story of "Hal Hiccup, the Boy Demon. " From my pocket Ifished one of the few dollars it held. 

"Jimmie, follow that man who has just gone out. Find out where he goesand whom he meets. If he stops anywhere keep a note of the place. "

The eyes of Young America grew big and round with astonishment, thenlit with ecstatic delight. He was going to be a real detective. 

"The boss?" He jerked a dirty thumb in the direction of the chief clerk. 

"I'll make it right with him. Hurry!"

"You bet I'll keep a peeper on him, " he bragged, reaching for his hat. 

He was gone. 

I returned to my client. 

"Excuse me. I wanted to put a spy on your cousin. If he takes the map toa safe-deposit vault we ought to know where. And that reminds me----What was it you gave him? I thought the map was on my table here?"

"I gave him a copy of it, one my father took years ago. "

"But had it a corner torn off just like this one?"

From her hand-bag she drew a scrap of paper. "I was tearing it off justbefore I took it out. "

My admiration was genuine enough. 

"You're a cool hand, Miss Wallace. My hat is off to you. "

The color deepened slightly in her cheeks. "That was nothing. I justhappened to think of it. "

"You saved the day, anyhow. He stands only an equal chance with us. "

"But he doesn't. My father purposely made an error in the details incase the map happened to fall into the wrong hands. And the latitude andlongitude aren't marked. "

I could have shouted my delight. 

"But he has heard the diary read, " she added. "In that the rightlatitude was given. If he happens to remember----"

"A hundred to one he doesn't, and even at the worst he's no better offthan we are. "

"Except that he has money and can finance an expedition in search of thetreasure. "

I came to earth as promptly as Darius Green. 

"By Jove! that's true. "

For the humiliating fact was that I had not a hundred dollars with whichto bless myself, having just lost my small inheritance in a wildcatmining venture. 

"I suppose it would take a lot of money?" she said timidly. 

"Where is the treasure hidden?"

"On the coast of Panama. "

"Near the canal zone?"

"I don't know. The latitude and the longitude are exactly marked, but Ihaven't looked them up. "

"We'll have to outfit a ship here, or make our start from Panama. Yes, it's going to take money. "

"Then we can't go any farther with it. I have no means, " she saidquietly. 

The lawyer in me came reluctantly to the fore. 

"I suppose I ought to advise you to compromise with Captain Bothwell. "

Resolution flashed in the eyes that looked straight into mine. 

"I'd rather lose it all! He wouldn't stick to any bargain he madebecause--well, he would use the treasure as a lever to--get somethingelse he wants. "

The flush in her cheeks told me what else it was he wanted, and my heartwas lifted within me. Bothwell intended to marry her, and she did notintend that he should. My wishes ran pat with hers. 

"That is final, is it?"

"Quite. If you don't want to go on with it you can drop out, Mr. Sedgwick. I thank you for your kindness----"

"And who's talking of dropping out? I suggested compromise because Ithought I ought, but I'm the pleased man that you won't listen to mygood advice. No, no! I'm in to stay, and here's my hand on it. "

"You're just spoiling for the fight, " she smiled, her little hand inmine. 

"Indeed, and that's a guess which rings the bell. I'll not be satisfiedtill I try another fall with Mr. Bothwell. "

"You're a right funny lawyer. "

"I'll tell you a secret. My father was an Irish filibuster in Cuba. Hedied with his back to a wall when I was five. "

"Then it's in the blood. "

"He had a chance to slip away by leaving his men, but Barry Sedgwickwasn't the man to take that kind of an opportunity. "

"The dear hero! How proud you must be of him, " she said in the softestof voices. 

I nodded. 

"He's the best reference I can give you. Now, Miss Wallace, I'll have totell this story--or part of it--before I can interest capital in theventure. You are willing that I should?"

"Do whatever you must. It's in your hands. "

"First, we'll make sure of the map, then; and after that you can tell methe story of Doubloon Spit. "

Together we went to the International Safe Deposit vaults, rented a box, and put in it the map. Afterward we took a car for Golden Gate Park. There she told me the story, in substance if not in the same words, tobe found in the next two chapters. 

Those who find interest only in the conventional had better read nofarther. For this true tale runs red with the primal emotions of the oldbuccaneers. It is a story of love and hate, of heroism and cowardice, oftreasure-trove and piracy on the high seas, of gaping wounds and foulmurder. If this is not to your taste, fall out. My story is not foryou. 

CHAPTER III

CONCERNING DOUBLOON SPIT

Robert Wallace, the father of Evelyn, was not one of the forty-niners, but he had come to California by way of the Isthmus not very many yearslater. Always of an adventurous turn, it was on his fourteenth birthdaythat he ran away from his home in Baltimore to become a stowaway onboard a south-bound vessel. 

It was a day of privations, and the boy endured more than his share ofthem without complaint. Somehow he got along, knocking about from onepoint to another, now at the gold diggings, now on the San Franciscowharfs, and again as a deck hand on the coasters that plied from port toport. 

When he was eighteen, but well grown for his age, he fell in with an oldsalt named Nat Quinn. Quinn was an old man, close to seventy, a survivalof a type of sailor which even then had all but passed away. 

The sea and the wind had given Quinn a face of wrinkled leather. It washis custom to wear rings in his ears, to carry a murderous dirk, and towrap around his bald head a red bandanna after the fashion of thebuccaneers of old. 

He was a surly old ruffian, quick to take offense, and absolutelyfearless. When the old fellow was in drink it was as much as one's lifewas worth to cross his whim. 

Nat Quinn was second mate of the _Porto Rico_ when young Wallace shippedbefore the mast at San Francisco for a cruise to Lima. The crew wereprobably rough specimens, but there can be no doubt that Quinn hazedthem mercilessly. 

Soon the whole forecastle was simmering with talk about revenge. OffGuayaquil one night three of the crew found him alone on the deck andrushed him overboard. The old man was no swimmer. No doubt this wouldhave been the end of him if young Wallace, hearing his cry for help, hadnot dived from the rail and kept him afloat until a boat reached them. 

From that night Nat Quinn took a great fancy to the young man and oftenhinted that he was going to make his fortune. He told of hiddentreasure, but never definitely; spoke of a great fortune to be had forthe lifting, and promised Wallace that he should go halves. 

No doubt he trusted the boy, but the habit of secrecy had grown toostrong easily to be broken. Several times he approached the subject, butusually sheered off before he had gone far. Of shrugs and winks heoffered plenty, enough to keep the youngster tantalized almost beyondendurance. Nor was it possible to force his confidence, for he was of asurly, taciturn disposition, given to brooding suspicions. 

But at last the story came out. Quinn had been in his early days aseaman on board the ship _Mary Ann_ of Bristol, which in the year 1817was wrecked off the coast of Peru and cast upon the rocks. Most of thecrew were saved, including the captain, one Thomas Rogers, the firstmate, "Bully" Evans, and the boatswain, Pablo Lobardi, a quarrelsomefellow with whom Quinn had had a difficulty. 

The rescued seamen were treated with the greatest kindness by thesimple-hearted natives. To Cerro Blanco, the nearest town, they weretaken and given work. Most of them found employment in the rich mines ofthe neighborhood, pending the arrival of some ship to take them back toEurope. 

Lobardi was the only one of the crew who could talk Spanish, so that inhis capacity of interpreter he acquired much influence with the men. Itwas he that hatched the vile plot to rob the mines, loot the richchurches and the banks of Cerro Blanco, and make their escape on theship which put in twice a year to carry the gold to Lima. 

It looked a desperate enough adventure, this plan to seize an armedtransport and escape with a great treasure, but these ruffians were thevery men to carry through such an attempt. In its apparent hopelessnesslay one prime factor of success, for none could expect a score ofunarmed men to try so forlorn a hope. The transport carried twice asmany soldiers, and these could call upon the town for aid in case ofneed. 

Everything went as well for the rascally buccaneers as they coulddesire. As the treasure wagons from the mines filed through a narrowgorge the sailors fell upon them. By means of three stolen rifles theydrove away the guard. In their wild flight for safety the men whocomposed this body flung away their weapons in panic. 

Bully Evans, captain in fact though not in name, now had eleven riflesand three pistols to distribute among his men. Leaving an escort withthe gold, he pushed to Cerro Blanco with the main body of robbers. Atthe outskirts of the town he again divided his forces. One partyhastened to the banks and another looted the cathedral. Within an hourthe town had been stripped clean of its gold and jewels and thescoundrels had again joined forces at the wharves. Only the need ofabsolute silence saved the town from a carnival of fire and murder. 

It was by this time in the small hours of a dark, moonless night. Thepirates loaded the treasure into boats and pulled quietly for the _SantaTheresa_, a transport which lay like a black hulk in the harbor. 

The first boat was challenged by a sentinel on board, but Lobardi gavethe countersign which they had forced from the leader of the treasureconvoy. 

"_Muy bien_, " answered the sentry, and he at once moved away to call thecaptain of the marines. 

As that officer came sleepily to the deck a half dozen figures swarmedover the side of the ship. He gave a cry, the last he ever uttered. Aknife hurtling through the dark was buried to the hilt in his throat. Simultaneously one of the men on guard let out his death shriek and theother fled down the hatchway to the quarters of the men. 

The first rush of the troopers to the deck was met by a volley thatmowed them down. Before they could recover, the pirates were upon themwith cutlases. Taken by surprise, hemmed in by the narrow hatchway, thesoldiers made a poor defense. Some were pursued and cut down, othersescaped by swimming to the wharves. Those who surrendered were flunginto a boat and ordered ashore. 

Captain Rogers worked the brig out of the harbor and set her nose to thenorth. There was need of haste, for the ship's consort was expected in aday or two. That there would be a pursuit nobody doubted. 

Now occurred a state of affairs to be accounted the most strange were itnot the most natural in the world. While the plot had been fomenting, and during its execution, these scurvy fellows had been of one mind, amenable to discipline, and entirely loyal to each other. 

The thing had been in the wind a month, yet not one of them had breatheda word in betrayal. But no sooner had they won success than dissensionsbroke out. They were jealous of their officers, suspicious of eachother. 

Men whispered together in corners, and others scowled at them indistrust. They grew unruly, were soon ripe for mutiny. 

To make matters worse, the wines and liquors aboard were made too free. It was not long before the cutthroats were in a debauch that threatenedto last as long as the rum. Fights grew frequent. Within a week one manwas buried and another lay in his bunk cut to ribbons. 

At this juncture Rogers, Evans, and Lobardi put their heads together andquietly dumped overboard the liquor supply. Captain Rogers was theablest seaman among the officers, and he it was that worked the brig. But Bully Evans was the real leader of the pirates. He was a big man, oftremendous vitality and strength, and he ruled like a czar, hazing hismen into submission by sheer brutality. 

One specimen of his methods must serve to illustrate a week of battle, every hour filled with disorder. The brig _Truxillo_, consort of the_Santa Theresa_, had appeared in the offing one morning and hung on inchase with all sail set. All day and night the two ships raced, the oneto escape, the other to capture the pirates. 

Next morning there came up a heavy fog. Orders were given to about ship. Nothing could have amazed the crew more, and mutiny was instantly in theair. The malcontents whispered together and sent forward a committee ofthree to voice their refusal to comply with the order. 

Before a dozen words had been spoken Evans stepped forward and flung thespokesman from the quarterdeck. While the other two hesitated he wasupon them, had cracked their heads together, and hammered them down thesteps to the waist. 

From his belt he whipped two pistols and leveled them at the grumblers. 

"Avast, you lubbers!" he bellowed. "By the powers, I'll learn you toplay horse with Bully Evans! Pipe up your complaint or foot it, youflabby seacocks what call yourselves gentlemen of fortune! Stow my quid, but I'll send some of you to feed the fishes if you try to make thef'c'sle rule the quarterdeck. Come, pipe up!"

They did not say much of what was in their minds, for he took the wordsout of their mouths, berating them for meddlesome fools and explaininghow their sole chance of escaping was to slip past the _Truxillo_ in thefog and shake off the pursuit. All this he roared with the foulest ofaccompanying oaths, treating the crew like dogs so effectively that theyturned tail and gave up without a blow. 

On the morning of the third day after this the _Santa Theresa_ poked hernose into San Miguel Gulf on the southern coast of Panama. The captaintook her across the gulf into Darien Harbor, then followed the southernbranch practically to the head of the bay, at which point he anchored. 

Tired of being confined aboard the ship, the crew were eager to getashore. This suited the plans of Evans. As soon as the long boat hadgone with the shore party he packed the treasure in boxes and loweredthem into a boat. Late in the afternoon the tired sailors returned tothe ship. 

Evans ordered the boatswain to pipe all hands on deck. To the assembledcrew he made a speech, pointing out the need of getting the treasure tosome safer place than aboard a ship which might any day fall into thehands of the enemy. He intended, he said, to take three men with him andbury the chests on the sand spit within sight of them all. 

But at this proposal the men broke into flat rebellion. Not one of themwas willing to trust the gold out of his reach. Things in fact had cometo such a pass that, though there was plenty for all, each was plottinghow he might increase his share by robbing his neighbor. 

Evans had made his preparations. The officers, Lobardi, Quinn, and twoother sailors who sided with the chief villains were grouped together, all of them heavily armed. In the struggle that followed the victorylay with the organized party. The mutineers were defeated and disarmed. 

Evans selected Quinn, Lobardi, and a sailor named Wall to go with himashore to bury the gold. Those on board watched the boat pull away withthe gold that had cost so many lives. To the fury and amazement of allof them the boat rounded a point of land and disappeared from sight. 

Evans had broken his agreement to bury the treasure in the sight of all. Even Captain Rogers joined in the imprecations of the men. He orderedthe long boat lowered for a pursuit, but hardly had this started when ashot plumped into the water in front of it. 

Unobserved in the excitement, the _Truxillo_ had slipped into the bay. Its second shot fell short, its third wide, but the fourth caught theboat amidship and crumpled it as the tap of a spoon does an emptyeggshell. Of the eight men aboard two were killed outright and the restthrown into the sea. One of them--a man named Bucks, as we were to learnin a most surprising way--clung to the wreckage and succeeded inreaching shore. The rest were drowned or fell a prey to sharks. 

The long boat disposed of, the _Truxillo_ turned her guns upon the_Santa Theresa_. Those left on board made a desperate defense, but thecaptain, seeing that escape was impossible, chose to blow up the shiprather than be hanged as a pirate from the yardarm. 

Meanwhile, the boat with the treasure, which had rounded the pointbefore the _Truxillo_ had appeared, had been beached on the spit and thechests dragged ashore. Evans was burying the boxes when the first shotof the _Truxillo_ fell upon his ears. Naturally he concluded that it wasfrom the _Santa Theresa_ as a warning of what he might expect. 

Bully Evans showed his yellow teeth in a grin. 

"Compliments of the old man, " he said, no whit disturbed at his doubletreachery. 

But at the sound of the final explosion the desperadoes looked at eachother. 

They ran to the nearest hill and saw the destruction of theircompanions. 

The Portuguese boatswain was the first to recover. 

"There ees now fewer to share, " he said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Evans looked at Quinn and gave a signal. The double murder was done withknives. Where there had been four, now only two remained. 

Evans and Quinn finished burying the treasure and removed all trace oftheir work. A map was drawn by Quinn, showing the exact location of thecache. The murderers slipped back to their boat and, under cover ofdarkness, crept up the harbor till they came to the mouth of a largeriver. Up this they pulled and disappeared into the interior. Neither ofthem was aware that Bucks had seen the treacherous killing and thedisposal of the treasure. 

Six weeks later a living skeleton crawled out of the fever-laden swampsof Panama and staggered down to a little village on the Gulf of Uraba. The man was Nat Quinn. He had followed the Rio Tuyra, zigzagged acrossthe Isthmus, and reached the northern coast. 

Somewhere in the dark tangle of forest behind him, where daylight neverpenetrates the thick tropical growth, lay the body of Bully Evans. Itwas lying face down in the underbrush, a little round hole in the backof the head. Quinn's treachery had anticipated that of the mate. 

As the survivor lurched down to the settlement his voice rose in a highcackle of delirious song. These were the words of his chant:

 It's bully boys, ho! and a deck splashed red-- The devil is paid, quo' he, quo' he, A knife in the back and a mate swift sped! Heave yo ho! and away with me. 

CHAPTER IV

THE MAN WITH THE SECRET

This was the terrible story old Cap Nat, as he was commonly called, toldto Robert Wallace one night in a grog shop at San Francisco nearly fortyyears after the events had taken place. Only one point he omitted--thefact that Bucks had escaped from the long boat and witnessed the cachingof the plunder--and this only because he was not aware of it. 

During all those forty years Quinn had kept it as a fixed purpose toreturn to the scene of his crime and possess himself of the wealth hehad lost his soul to gain. 

But to outfit an expedition of the necessary proportions took muchmoney. On this rock the man's purpose had always split. Periodically hewas a hard drinker. He would live hard and close for a year, savingevery cent he could, and then spend the whole amount in one granddebauch. 

Had he been willing to confide his story to some capitalist ofCalifornia it is likely he might have raised the needed funds, but thenature of the man was both suspicious and secretive and he had guardedhis knowledge all these years with jealousy. 

Wallace was acquainted with the owner and master of a tramp schoonerwhich had a doubtful reputation along the water front. Jim Slack hadbeen an opium smuggler and was watched so closely by the revenueofficers that he jumped at the chance of a trip to parts where nogovernment officials could reach him. 

Cautiously Wallace broached the subject to him, hinting at treasure butleaving the details dark. He drew a map which was a facsimile of the onemade by Quinn, except that the latitude and longitude were omitted, andone or two details altered. 

The result was that two weeks later the three men, together with a crewof five, were beating their way along the coast of Lower California inthe notorious _Jennie Slack_. A bargain had been struck by which theowner of the vessel was to get one-third of the gold, out of which sharehe was to pay all the expenses of the cruise. 

Each of the three leaders of the expedition was pledged to secrecy, butbefore they had been a week out of the Golden Gate Wallace discovered byaccident not only that the crew knew the story, but that they wereimplicated with the master of the boat in a plot to obtain the wholetreasure for themselves. 

He told what he had learned to Quinn under cover of an evening smoke ondeck. The old pirate took it without winking an eyelash, for he couldsee Slack and one of his men watching them. 

"Six to two. Long odds, boy, " he said, knocking the ashes from his pipe. 

To keep up appearances Bob Wallace laughed. 

"I'm to be got rid of just before we land. It is to be made to look likean accident. You're safe until you have uncovered the treasure. Thenit's good-by Cap Nat, too. "

Quinn's laugh rang loudly, for the old man could play the game with anyof them. 

"We can't go back. If we suggested that the row would begin at once. No, we must choose our time instead of letting them choose theirs. And wecan't wait too long, because they would see we were taking precautionsagainst being surprised. We'll strike to-night--and hard. "

No doubt Cap Nat was right in his strategy, but the scruples of theboy's conscience lost them the advantage of a sudden attack. He wouldfight to save his life, but he would not take advantage of his enemies. 

Perhaps it would be nearer the truth to say that he could not. Something stuck in his throat at the thought of falling upon menunexpectedly and dealing murder broadcast. Nor could the arguments ofthe old man shake him. 

Dreadfully frightened though he was, the boy stuck doggedly to hisposition. He would die before he would do such a thing. And indeed hecounted himself as no better than dead. 

The two shared the same cabin, so that they were able to see each otheralone several times during the day. Neither of them went out withoutbeing armed with a brace of pistols and a dirk, though these they kepthidden under their rough coats. 

During Slack's watch that evening Quinn and his friend made their finalpreparation for defense. The captain's cabin was larger than theirs, andoffered better points of defense. Furthermore, here were kept the armsand the ammunition of the ship. Quinn volunteered to get food and waterinto it while Wallace held the cabin. 

Three trips were made by the old salt to the cook's gallery. The firsttime he brought back a keg of water, the second time a large tin intowhich he had crammed a varied assortment of food. It was while he wasaway on the third journey that a scream rang out in the stillness. 

The boy heard a rush of feet, followed by a shot. Bob ran out of thecabin toward the galley. Up the steps from the lower deck came Quinn, blood streaming from his head. In one hand he carried a knife, in theother a copper kettle full of beans still steaming. 

"Back, lad, back! Hell's broke loose, " the old man cried. 

"What happened? Are you badly hurt?"

"I killed cookie. Caught me in the galley and I knifed him, " panted theold man. 

A bullet whistled past. Wallace turned, caught sight of Slack's headabove the hatchway, and fired. The head disappeared. A few moments andthey were safe in the cabin. 

"You are wounded, " Bob cried. 

Quinn shrugged. 

"A bullet grazed my head. Get ready for them. Never mind me. "

He tied a bandanna over the wound while the young man arranged on thebunk cutlases, their spare pistol, and the musket. 

Slack was the first of the enemy to appear. He carried with him a whitenapkin for a flag. Ostensibly he had come to find out the cause of thisoutbreak, really to learn how well prepared the defenders were. 

Cap Nat sent him to the right about briskly. "Get out, traitor! Steplively now, or I'll pepper you!"

From his breast Slack whipped a pistol and fired at the bald head of theold buccaneer. A shot from Wallace rang-out in answer. Slack ran forcover, but at the stairs waved a derisive gesture. 

For half an hour everything was quiet. Then came the sound of stealthywhispers and softly padding feet. 

Quinn swung his cutlas to test it. 

"Stand by for a rush. They're coming, " he said. 

Almost before he had finished speaking feet pattered swiftly along thedeck. The night was suddenly broken with shouts and curses. The starsthat had been shining through the window were blotted out with smoke. 

The door crashed in and men poured pell-mell through the opening. Thedetails of what followed were always blurred into a medley of carnage inthe mind of Wallace. He knew that both he and Quinn fired, and that thecabin filled with smoke. 

Fierce arms gripped him. He hacked into the smoke with his knife. Twicebodies thudded to the floor. A cutlas slashed his left arm. He wasdragged from the cabin to the open deck and found himself strugglingwith a red-bearded giant who tossed him about as if he had been a child. 

The fellow had a knife in his belt which he was trying to draw. Robertfought to the last ounce of strength in him to prevent this. But thesailor was too strong for him. Inch by inch he went down. The other'sknee drove into his chest, his sinewy hand closed on the lad's throat. Wallace saw the knife flash and for the moment lost his senses. 

When his eyes opened again the vise at his throat had withdrawn, theknee on his chest was relaxing. The giant was dropping like a log. Abovehim stood Quinn, a ghastly sight, in his hand a streaming cutlas. 

Wallace rose and looked about him. Two men lay huddled in the cabin, athird was staggering away with both hands clapped to his head. The giantmade four, the cook five. This left only Captain Slack against them. 

"By Heaven, we've beat them, " the boy cried. 

"Yes, lad, we've beat them, " grinned Quinn, leaning heavily against thedoor. "But it's Nat's last fight. I've got a bellyful--more than I cancarry. The old man is bound for Davy Jones's locker. "

Slowly he slid to the deck. 

Robert carried him into the cabin, bleeding from a dozen wounds. He wasbadly hacked, and from a gunshot wound in the vitals he was bleeding todeath. 

His comrade forced liquor between his teeth and offered to examine hiswounds. Old Nat waved him aside. 

"No use. I'm for hell. " He smiled and began to sing in a quavering voicethe chorus of the grim old buccaneers' song. 

It's bully boys, ho! and a deck splashed red-- The devil is paid, quo' he, quo' he, A knife in the back and a mate swift sped! Heave yo ho! and away with me. 

It must have been weird to hear the man, after so wicked and turbulent alife, troll from ashen lips the godless song of the old seadogs withwhom he had broken all the commandments. 

Only once after this did his mind come back to the present. A fewminutes before the end the old pirate's eyes opened. He tried to whispersomething, but could not. Feebly his hand tapped at something hard abovehis heart. Robert took from next the skin a package wrapped in oilcloth. Quinn's eyes lit. 

In this was the map of Doubloon Spit. 

Imagine now the situation on this ship of death. Three men only wereleft alive, and one of these so badly wounded that he leaped overboardin madness before morning. Of the remaining two, neither could sleepwithout the fear of murder in his heart. 

Two days wore away, one holding the upper and the other the lower deck. Meanwhile the ship drifted, a derelict on the face of the Pacific. 

At length an agreement was patched up. Slack and Wallace sailed the shiptogether, each with one eye on the other. It is certain that neitherslept without locked and bolted doors. 

On the fourth day after truce had been declared, land was sighted. Whileit was the boy's watch and the captain was asleep Wallace managed tolower a boat and paddle to the shore. He had scarcely reached the beachwhen a tropical storm swept across the waters. At daybreak the _JennieSlack_ was no longer in sight. Neither schooner nor owner was ever seenagain. 

Robert Wallace was picked up several days later by a Mexicansheepherder. In time he worked his way back to San Francisco. At thecompletion of the Union Pacific Railroad he left California for theSouth. 

Here he engaged in business, forsook his vagabond habits, and in courseof time married. No doubt it was always in his mind to have another tryat the treasure, but time slipped away without his doing so. His happymarriage fettered him. Before he realized it, he was an old man. Themost he could do was to leave the secret for his daughter. 

The package was found by his executor sealed in a safety deposit box. Heleft instruction that it was to be opened by his daughter upon hertwenty-first birthday. 

A week before the events told in the first chapter she had reached hermajority. In the presence of Boris Bothwell, whom she had lately met forthe first time, the oilcloth package had been opened. 

He had agreed to finance the expedition to Doubloon Spit and she hadcome to San Francisco with her aunt to make the voyage with him. Meanwhile, letters had reached her from Scotland which made clear thetrue character of Bothwell. 

He had attempted twice to get possession of the map. His personalattention displeased her. They had quarreled, finally, on the morning ofthe episode of the second-story window. 

CHAPTER V

WE FIND A SHIP

Partly from the diary of Robert Wallace and partly from the lips of hisdaughter I gathered the story set down in the two preceding chapters. 

If I have given it with some detail, believe me, it is not because Icare to linger over the shadow of tragedy that from the first hung aboutthe ill-gathered treasure, but rather that you may understand clearlythe issue facing us. 

Some men would have turned their back upon the adventure and voted thegold well lost. I wanted to see the thing out to a finish. 

I shall never deny that the personality of her who was to be my partnerin the enterprise had something to do with the decision to which I came. The low, sweet voice of the Southland, the gay, friendly eyes, thepiquant face, all young, all irresistibly eager and buoyant, would havewon a less emotional man than Jack Sedgwick. 

But why make apologies? After all, every man that lives has his greatadventure, whether it come garbed in drab or radiant with the glow ofthe sunrise. A prosaic, money-grubbing age we call this, but by thegods! romance hammers once in a lifetime at the door of every mother'sson of us. There be those too niggardly to let her in, there be those towhom the knock comes faintly; and there be a happy few who fling widethe door and embrace her like a lover. 

For me, I am Irish, as I have said. I cried "Aye!" and shook hands onthe bargain. We would show Captain Boris Bothwell a thing or two. Itwould be odds but we would beat him to those chests hidden in the sand. 

This was all very well, but one cannot charter and outfit a ship for along cruise upon day-dreams. The moneyed men that I approached smiledand shook their wise gray heads. To them the whole story was no morethan a castle in Spain. For two days I tramped the streets of SanFrancisco and haunted the offices of capitalists without profit to ourenterprise. 

On the afternoon of the third I retired, temporarily defeated, to myclub, the Golden Gate. On my salary I had no business belonging to soexpensive a club, but I had inherited from my college days a taste forgood society and I gratified it at the expense of other desires. 

In the billiard-room I ran across an acquaintance I had met for thefirst time on the Valdez trail some years earlier. His name was SamuelBlythe. By birth he was English, by choice cosmopolitan. Possessed ofmore money than he knew what to do with, he spent a great deal of timeexploring unknown corners of the earth. He was as well known atHong-Kong and Simla as in Paris and Vienna. Within the week he hadreturned to San Francisco, from an attempt to reach the summit of MountMcKinley. 

He was knocking balls about aimlessly. 

"Shoot you a game of pool, Sedgwick, " he proposed. 

Then I had an inspiration. 

"I can give you more fun for your money another way. Come into thelibrary, Blythe. "

There I told him the whole story. He heard me out without a smile. Forthat alone I could have thanked him. When I had finished he looked for aminute out of the window with a far-away expression in his eyes. 

"It's a queer yarn, " he said at last. 

"And of course you don't believe a word of it?" I challenged. 

"Don't I? Let me tell you this, old man. There are a number of rumthings in this old world. I've bucked up against two or three of them. Let me see your map. "

I had made another copy of it, with the latitude and longitude omitted. This I handed to him. 

While he examined it his eyes shone. 

"By Jove, this _is_ a lark. You can have the old tub if you want it. "

He was referring to his splendid steam yacht the _Argos_, in which hehad made the trip to Alaska. 

"I haven't the price to outfit her and pay your crew, " I explained. 

"I have. You'll have to let me be your bank. But I say, Sedgwick, you'llneed a sailing master. You're not a seaman. "

Our eyes met. 

"Could Sam Blythe be persuaded to take the place?"

"Could I?" He got up and wrung my hand. "That's what I wanted you tosay. Of course I'll go--jump at the chance. "

"There's the chance of a nasty row. We're likely to meet Bothwell inthat vicinity. If we do, there will be trouble. "

"So I gather from your description of the gentleman. "

I was delighted. Blythe was not only a good navigator; he was a triedcompanion, true as steel, an interesting fellow who had passed throughstrange experiences but never used them to impress upon others a senseof his importance. 

He had served through the Boer and the Spanish-American wars withdistinction. As I looked at him--a spare tall man with a bronzed face ofpower, well-shouldered, clear-eyed, and light-footed--I felt he was theone out of ten thousand for my purpose. 

"Too bad I didn't know a week ago. I've let my crew go. But we can pickup another. My sailing master Mott is a thoroughly reliable man. He'lllook after the details. My opinion is that we ought to get under way assoon as possible. That fellow Bothwell is going to crowd on all sail inhis preparations. I take it as a sure thing that he means to have a tryfor the treasure. "

"My notion too. He struck me as a man of resource and determination. "

"So much the better. He'll give us a run for our money. My dear fellow, you've saved my life. I was beginning to get bored to extinction. Thiswill be a bully picnic. "

"How long will it take you to get the yacht ready?"

"Give me a week to pick a crew and get supplies aboard. I'll offer abonus to get things pushed. "

To see the enthusiasm he put into the adventure did me good after thethree days of disappointment I had endured. I was eager to have him andMiss Wallace meet, and I got her at once on the telephone and madearrangements to bring him up after dinner to the private hotel where sheand her aunt were stopping. 

They took to each other at once. Inside of ten minutes we were alltalking about our equipment for the trip. 

"If we have a good run and the proper luck we'll be back to you with thetreasure inside of a month, Miss Wallace, " Blythe promised as he rose toleave. 

"Back to me!" She looked first at him and then at me. "You don't thinkthat I'm not going, too, do you?"

It is odd that the point had not come up before, but I had taken it forgranted she would wait in 'Frisco for us. 

"It's hardly a lady's job, I should say, " was my smiling answer. 

"Nonsense! Of course I am going. " Sharp decision rang in her voice. 

"It may be dangerous. "

"Fiddlesticks! Panama is a tourist point of travel these days. Half ofmy schoolgirl chums have been there. It's as safe as--Atlantic City. "

"Atlantic City isn't safe if one ventures too far out in the surf, " Ireminded her. 

"I'll stick close to the life line, " she promised. 

Both Blythe and I were embarrassed. It was of course her right to go ifshe insisted. I appealed to her aunt, a plump, amiable lady nearer fiftythan forty. 

"Don't you think, Miss Berry, that it would be better to wait here forus? There would be discomforts to which you are not used. "

"That is just what Boris told us, " Evelyn put in mischievously. 

Miss Berry gave a little shrug of her shoulders. 

"Oh, I'd as soon stay here, but Evie will have her way. " Her pleasantsmile took from the words any sting they might otherwise have held. 

"Of course I shall. This is a matter of business, " Miss Wallacetriumphantly insisted. 

Excitement danced in her eyes. She might put it on commercial grounds ifshe liked, but the truth is that the romance of the quest had taken holdof her even as it had of us. One could not blame her for wanting to go. 

I consulted Sam with my eyes. 

"I suppose there is no absolute bar to letting the ladies go. There isroom enough on the _Argos_. "

"There's plenty of room, " he admitted. 

After all it was fanciful to suppose that we should run across Bothwellon the face of the broad Pacific. Why shouldn't they have the pleasureof a month's yachting? Certainly their presence would make the voyage amore pleasant one for us. 

"All right. Go if you must, but don't blame me if it turns out to be nopicnic. "

"Thank you, Mr. Sedgwick. That's just what it is going to be--a nicelong picnic, " the girl beamed. 

"Wish I had your beautiful confidence. Have you forgotten CaptainBothwell? Shall we take him along, too?" I asked with a laugh. 

"I'm afraid he would want all the cake. No, we'll not ask him to ourpicnic. He may stay at home. "

"Let's hope he will, " Miss Berry contributed cheerfully. 

I don't think she gave the least weight to our fears of Bothwell. Infact he was rather a favorite of hers. 

"If he comes he'll have to take what is left. He understands he's notinvited, " Miss Wallace nodded gaily. 

Blythe was fortunately able to secure his sailing master, Mott, and oneof the crew that had sailed with him before, a man named Williams. TheEnglishman's valet, Morgan, went as steward. For the rest, we had to becontent with such men as we could get hurriedly together. 

Two brothers named Fleming were secured as engineers, a little cockneyas fat as a prize pig for cook. He answered to the cognomen of 'Arry'Iggins, though on the ship's register the letter H was the firstinitial of both his names. Caine, the boatswain, was a sinister-lookingfellow, but he knew his business. Taken as a whole, the crew appeared toaverage well enough. 

From long practice Blythe was an adept at outfitting a yacht for acruise. Without going into details I'll only say that we carried verylittle that was superfluous and lacked nothing that would tend toincrease our comfort. 

I am no sailor, but it did not take a professional eye to see that the_Argos_ was a jewel of a boat. Of her seagoing qualities I knew nothingexcept by repute, but her equipment throughout was of the best. She wasa three-masted schooner with two funnels, fitted with turbines andYarrow boilers. To get eighteen knots out of her was easy, and I haveseen her do twenty in a brisk wind. 

In addition to her main deck the _Argos_ carried a topgallant forecastleand a bridge, the latter extended on stanchions from the main deck tothe sides of the ship so as to give plenty of space for games orpromenades. The bridge contained a reception and a tea room, which wereconnected by a carved stairway with the deck below. 

The rooms of the commander, the cook, and other servants lay wellforward under the bridge. Abaft of these were the kitchen and thepantry, the dining room, the saloon, and the rooms of the owner and hisguests. 

The conventional phrase "a floating palace" will do well enough todescribe the interior of this turbine yacht. No reasonable man couldhave asked more of luxury than was to be found in the well-designed bathrooms, in the padded library with its shelves of books, its piano andmusic rack, and in the smoking room arranged to satisfy the demands ofthe most fastidious. 

I had resigned my place with Kester & Wilcox to help push thepreparation for our departure, but I was still spending a good deal ofmy time in the office cleaning up some matters upon which I had beenworking. Much of the time I was down at the docks, and when I could notbe there my thoughts were full of the _Argos_ and her voyage. 

Since I was giving my time to the firm without pay I took the liberty ofusing the boy Jimmie to run errands for me. Journeying back and forth tothe wharf with messages and packages, he naturally worked up a feverishinterest in our cruise, even though he did not know the object of it. When he came out point-blank one morning with a request to go with us ascabin boy I was not surprised. I sympathized with Master Jimmie'sdesire, but I very promptly put the lid on his hopes. 

"Nothing doing, Mr. James A. Garfield Welch. "

"You've gotter have a kid to run errands for youse, Mr. Sedgwick, " hepleaded. 

"No use talking, Jimmie. You're not going. "

"All right, " he acquiesced meekly. 

Too meekly, it occurred to me later. 

CHAPTER VI

THE MISSING CORNER

Blythe and I had agreed that Bothwell would not let us get away withoutfirst making an effort to get hold of the original map of Doubloon Spit. He was nobody's fool, and there was no doubt but he had very soondetected the trick his cousin had played upon him. 

Since the chart was in a safety-deposit vault we felt pretty sure ofourselves, for he would have to secure it between the time we took itout and our arrival on the _Argos_, at best a spare half hour in themiddle of the day. But since the captain did not know what we had donewith the document, it was a good guess that he would have a try atsearching for it. 

On the evening of the third day before we were due to sail, Blythe and Itook Miss Berry and her niece to the opera and afterward to a littlesupper at a cozy French restaurant just round the corner from theChronicle Building. 

It was well past midnight when we reached the hotel where the ladieshad their rooms. Miss Wallace had no sooner flung open the door than shegave an exclamation of amazement. 

The room had been fairly turned upside down. Drawers had been emptied, searched, and their contents dumped down in one corner. Rugs had beentorn up. Even the upholstery of chairs and the lounge had been ripped. The inner room was in the same condition. A thorough, systematicexamination had been made of every square inch of the apartment. It hadbeen carried so far that the linings of gowns had been cut away and thetrimming of hats plucked off. 

"A burglar!" gasped Miss Berry. 

"Let's give him a name. Will Captain Boris Bothwell do?" I asked ofBlythe. 

The Englishman nodded. 

"You've rung the bell at the first shot, Sedgwick. "

"Oh, I don't think it, " Miss Berry protested. "Captain Bothwell is toomuch of a gentleman to destroy a lady's things wantonly. Just look atthis hat!"

Evelyn laughed at her wail. It happened not to be her hat. 

"It's dear Boris, all right. I wonder if he left his card?"

"Shall we call in the police?" her aunt asked. 

Miss Wallace questioned me with her eyes. 

"Might as well, " I assented. "Not that it will make a bit of difference, but it will satisfy the hotel people. Probably it would be as well notto mention our suspicions. "

So we had the police in. They talked and took notes and asked questions, and at last went away with the omniscient air peculiar to officers ofthe law the world over. They had decided it was the work of Nifty Jim, anotorious diamond thief at that time honoring San Francisco with hispresence. 

Over a cigar in my rooms Blythe and I talked the matter out. Bothwellhad made the first move. Soon he would make another, for of course hewould search my place at the Graymount. The question was whether to keepthe rooms guarded or to let him have a clear field. We decided on thelatter. 

"How far will the man go? That's the question. " My friend looked at hiscigar tip speculatively. "Will he have you knocked on the head to see ifyou are carrying it?"

"He will if he can, " I told him promptly. "But I'm taking no chances. Icarry a revolver. "

"Did you happen to notice that we were followed to-night?"

"That's nothing new. They've been dogging me ever since I got the map. But I play a pretty careful game. "

"I would, " Blythe agreed gravely. "I say. Let me stay with you here tillwe get off. Better be sure than sorry. "

"Glad to have you, though I don't think it's necessary. "

It may have been five minutes later that I suddenly sat bolt upright inmy chair. An idea had popped into my head, one so bold that it mighthave been borrowed from Bothwell's lawless brain. 

"I say. Let's play this out with Captain Boris his own way. Let's justremind him we're on earth too. "

"Meaning----"

My eyes danced. 

"I'm as good a burglar as he is, and so are you. "

Blythe waited. 

"He doesn't give a tinker's dam for the law, " I continued. "Good enough!We'll take a leaf out of his book. To-morrow night you have anengagement--to ransack the captain's rooms. "

"What for?"

"To get that corner of a map he stole from his cousin. Part of thedirections for finding the treasure are on it. "

"But Miss Wallace has another copy. "

"An inaccurate one. Her father changed the directions on purpose in casesome one found it. "

Blythe smoked for a minute without answering. 

"You're a devilish cool hand, Sedgwick. I'm a law-abiding citizenmyself. "

"And so am I--when the other fellow will let me. But if a chap hits meon the head with a bit of scantling I'll not stop to look for apoliceman. "

"Just so. I was about to say that since I'm a law-abiding citizen it'smy duty to take from Bothwell the goods he has stolen. I'm with you tosearch his rooms for that paper. "

Underneath his British phlegm I could see that he was as keen on thething as Jack Sedgwick. Looking back on it from this distance, it seemsodd that two reputable citizens should have adventured intohousebreaking so gaily as we did. 

But Bothwell had brought it on himself, and both of us were eager toshow him he had some one more formidable than a young woman to dealwith. Moreover, there is something about the very name of buriedtreasure that knocks the pins of respectability from under a man. 

Up to date I had led the normal life of a super-civilized city dweller, but within a fortnight I was to shoot a man down and count it just partof the day's work. None of us knows how strong the savage is in us untilwe are brought up against life in the raw. 

My trailers followed me about next day as usual, but I chuckled wheneverI saw them. For we were doing a little sleuthing ourselves. I borrowedJimmie from the firm and the little gamin kept tab on Bothwell. 

The captain did not leave his room until nearly midday, but as soon ashe had turned the corner next to his hotel, the Argonaut, on the way tohis breakfast-lunch, Jimmie dodged in at the side entrance, slipped upthe stairs and along a corridor, up a second and a third flight by theback way, down another passage, and stopped at a room numbered 417. 

With him he had a great bunch of keys similar to those used in thathotel. One after another he tried these, stopping whenever he heardapproaching footsteps to hide the keys under his coat. Several personspassed, but found nothing unusual in the sight of a boy knockinginnocently on a door. 

At last Jimmie found a key which turned in the socket. That was all hewanted. Relocking the door he went down the stairs to the street, hisfingers tightly clenched around the key that fitted. Nor did he take thelittle closed fist out of his coat pocket until he and I were alonetogether in my office, from whence he departed two dollars richer thanhe had entered. 

Jimmie having been retired from duty, Blythe took his place in watchingBothwell. He engaged a room on the fourth floor of the Argonaut, fromwhich he was able to observe the coming and going of the enemy. 

My work at the office finished, I took a car for the Graymount, followedas usual by one of the detectives that for days had dogged me. Myattendant on this occasion was a shrimp of a man with a very wrinkledface and a shock of red hair. Some imp of deviltry in me moved me tochange my seat for one beside his. 

"A pleasant day, " I suggested to open the conversation. 

He agreed that it was. 

"I suppose your kind of work is always more cheerful in good weather, " Iwent on. 

"My kind of work!" Plainly he was disconcerted at my remark. 

"Yes. Must be devilish unpleasant shadowing a man in cold weather. Don't you have to wait outside houses sometimes for hours at a stretch?"

The palm of his hand rasped a stubbly chin as he looked askance at me. 

"Why--er--I don't know what you mean. "

"Don't you?" I laughed in his face. "Come now, let's put aside thelittle fiction that I'm not wise to your game. I'm not at all annoyed atthe attentions you pay me. It's entirely a matter of business with you. I suppose I'm good for about five dollars a day to you. Faith, that'smore than I've ever been able to earn for myself. Sorry I'm leavingthese parts soon--on your account. "

He did not at all know how to take me, but he earnestly assured me thatI was quite mistaken. He was a carpenter by trade. 

"Why not make it as easy for you as we can?" I chuckled. "Come in to theGraymount and have dinner with me. Our cafe isn't what it should be, butit will pass at a pinch. What do you say?"

He said that I was making game of him. 

"Not at all, " I assured him. "I'm merely trying to lighten the load ofhonest labor. Well, if you won't, you won't. After dinner I'm going tomy rooms to smoke a cigar. About nine--or somewhere near that time--I'llbe going out for an hour. Are your instructions to follow me?"

"You're all wrong about me, sir. I don't know any more than a rabbitwhat you are talking about. "

"I was only going to say that if you care to go I'll try to arrange foranother place at our little party. "

He was, I judged, glad to get rid of me at my corner. It had been hisinstruction to leave the car there too, no doubt, but my discovery ofhim drove the little man one block farther. I waited till he got off andwaved a hand at him before I walked to the Graymount. For me it had beena very entertaining little adventure, but I am inclined to think hefound it embarrassing. 

The program of my movements which I had given him was accurate enough. Dinner finished. I went to my room for a cigar, after which I called upa taxi. 

I selected an ulster with a deep collar, and in the right hand pocket Idropped a revolver, but not before I had carefully examined the weapon. 

As I stepped into the taxi the vest-pocket edition of Nick Carter withwhom I had ridden up from the city a few hours earlier darted out fromthe alley where he had been lurking. Again I waved a hand derisivelytoward him. The chauffeur threw in the clutch and we moved swiftly downthe hill. The little sleuth wheeled off in the direction of the nearestdrug store. 

"He's going to call up Bothwell to tell him I've gone, " was my guess. 

For perhaps a quarter of an hour I had the chauffeur drive me about thecity, now fast, now slow, crossing and recrossing our track half a dozentimes. When I was finally convinced that no other car was following mineI paid the driver and dismissed him. 

Catching the nearest street car I rode down to Market Street. It was acool night, so that I was justified in turning up my coat collar in sucha way as to conceal partially my face. 

Inconspicuously I stepped into the Argonaut and up the stairs toBlythe's room. 

Sam met me at the door and nodded in the direction of No. 417. 

"He went out half an hour ago. "

"I'll bet he got a telephone message from little Nick Carter first, " Igrinned. 

Three minutes later we were in Bothwell's room. Since it was probablethat he was making himself at home in mine it seemed only fair that weshould do as much in his. 

We did. If there was a nook or corner within those four walls we did notexamine I do not know where it could have been. Every drawer was openedand searched for secret places. Bedposts, legs of chairs and tables, allthe woodwork, had to undergo a microscopic scrutiny. The walls weresounded for cavities. We probed the cushions with long fine needles andtore the spreads from the beds. The carpet and the floor underneath weregone over thoroughly. Blythe even took the frame of the mirror to piecesto make sure that the shred of paper we wanted did not lie between theglass and the boards behind. 

At last I found our precious document. It was in the waste-paper basketamong some old bills, a torn letter, some half smoked cigarettes, and atwisted copy of that afternoon's _Call_. Bothwell had thrust it downamong this junk because he shrewdly guessed a waste-paper basket thelast place one would likely look for a valuable chart. 

To deprive him of it seemed a pity, so we merely made a copy of what wewanted and left him the original buried again in the junk where he hadhidden it. 

My watch showed that it was now between one and two o'clock. SinceBothwell might now be back at any time we retired to Blythe's room and_learned by heart_ the torn fragment of directions. 

This did not take us long for there was nothing on the faded corner butthese letters and words:

 wh 12 Take Forked till Tong of west to Big Rock

In the milkman hours we slipped from the hotel and took a car for theGraymount. My rooms were a sight. Some one--and I could put a name tohim--had devastated them as a cyclone does a town in the middle West. The wreckage lay everywhere, tossed hither and thither as the searchershad flung away the articles after an examination. Blythe laughed. 

"The middle name of our friend Bothwell must be thorough. He hasn'toverlooked anything, by Jove. "

"Oh, well, it's our inning anyhow, " I grinned. "He didn't get what hewanted, and we know it. We did get what we wanted, and he doesn't knowit. " The Englishman flung himself down into a Morris chair and reachedfor my cigarettes. 

"On the whole I rather fancy our new profession, Jack. I wonder ifCaptain Bothwell will send our photographs to the chief of police forhis rogues' gallery. "

CHAPTER VII

IN THE FOG

The day before we sailed I spent an hour aboard the _Argos_ arranging mythings in my cabin. While returning in one of the yacht's boats I caughtsight through the fog of two figures standing on the wharf. 

I had a momentary impression that one of these was our chief engineer, George Fleming, but when I scrambled ashore only one of the two was insight. The one I had taken to be our engineer had sheered off into thefog. 

The outline of the other bulked large in the heavy mist, partly becauseof the big overcoat, no doubt. I had a feeling that I ought to know theman, but it was not until he stepped forward to me that I recognizedhim. 

"A pleasant evening if one doesn't object to fog, Mr. Sedgwick, " hesaid, lifting his hat and bowing. 

"It's you, is it?" I answered, coolly enough. 

"Thought I'd drop down and see how you are getting along. The _Argos_looks like a good sailor. I congratulate you. "

"Thanks. "

"You sail to-morrow, I understand. "

"Since you know already I'll save myself the trouble of telling you. "

"Sharp work, Mr. Sedgwick. I needed only one good look at you to knowyou were a first-class man for this sort of thing. "

"I am delighted that my work pleases Captain Bothwell. "

He passed my irony with a laugh. 

"Oh, I didn't say it pleased me. I'm after the treasure myself, and I'mgoing to get it. But I'm not a fool. I can appreciate even an enemy whenI find him on the job. "

"And of course your appreciation won't keep you from sticking a knife inhim if you find it necessary. "

"Of course not. I said I wasn't a fool, " he admitted easily. 

We were standing on the edge of the wharf, shut out from the world by afog bank that left us to all intents alone. It was an uncanny place tomeet one's dearest enemy. Faintly I could still hear the splashing ofthe oars as the boat that had brought me ashore moved back to the_Argos_. Otherwise no sound but the lapping of the waves at the pilesbroke the silence. 

Our eyes met straight as a plummet falls. Each of us had his right handin his overcoat pocket. I can't swear to what was in his fingers, but Ifelt a good deal safer for what was in mine. My back was still towardthe bay, for I had a vision of the man who had disappeared--whoever hemight be--slipping up through the white fog and sticking a knife betweenmy shoulder-blades. 

The captain gave me his friendliest smile. 

"But you needn't be afraid. What would it profit me to get rid of youhere? I don't suppose you have the map with you?"

At the last words his black eyes stabbed at me a question. 

I shook my head. 

"No, it wouldn't be worth while murdering me now to get the map. I'm nota fool either, captain. It isn't on me. "

"So I judged. Then you may make your mind easy--for the present. "

"I'm not so sure about that. Wouldn't it pay you to put me out of theroad, anyhow? You'll not get the treasure so long as I'm alive, youknow. "

"There you touch my vanity, Mr. Sedgwick. I'm of a contrary opinion. Dead or alive you can't keep me from it. "

"Have you never noticed, captain, that in this world a man'sopportunities do not always match his inclinations?"

"I've noticed that a man gets what he wants if he is strong enough totake it. "

"So far as I know you have made four attempts to get the map. Have yougot it?"

"Not yet. Plenty of time though. When I need it I'll get it. "

My skeptical laugh must have annoyed him. 

"Then you'd better get busy if it's true that we sail to-morrow. "

"Hope you'll have a pleasant trip. "

"Thanks. Sorry we can't ask you, captain. But there really isn't roomand our party is full. No doubt you'll be starting on a little jaunt ofyour own soon?"

"Yes, to-morrow, too, as it happens. Perhaps we may meet again. It's asmall world after all, Mr. Sedgwick. "

"We'll look out for you. "

"Do. And go prepared for squalls. One never knows what may happen. ThePacific is treacherous. Likely enough you'll meet dirty weather. "

"I'm thinking you're right. But the yacht is good for it. "

"And the yacht's passengers?" he asked with angled brows. 

"We're all good sailors. "

"But isn't there a good deal of yellow fever in Panama?"

"Not now. There used to be. "

"Haven't I heard of pirates in the Isthmus country?" he asked, smilingwith superb impudence. 

"That's in the past too, captain; but if we meet any, the vermin will beglad to sheer off. I'll promise you that. "

The villain drew a breath of mock relief. 

"That makes my mind easier, Mr. Sedgwick. I'll confess I've been alittle troubled for you. "

"Thanks for your kind thoughts, but I'm confident we can look out forourselves. "

Our words had been light enough, but be sure there was no laughter inthe eyes that fastened each pair to the other. For me, I never was morevigilant in my life--and Bothwell knew it. 

"Going up-town, captain? If not I'll say good evening. "

He nodded genially. 

"Pleasant voyage. And _do_ be careful of the squalls and the fever andthe pirates. Do you know I can't help thinking you had better leaveEvie at home for me to take care of. "

"But you're leaving, too, I understood you to say. No, we'll take goodcare of her. I give you my word on that. "

I had been edging round him with the intention of backing away. He heldout his hand, but--well, my fingers were otherwise engaged. They stillcaressed a knobby bit of metal in my overcoat pocket. 

At the last moment, so it appeared, he yielded to an impulse. 

"Must we really be in opposite camps, Mr. Sedgwick? Come! Let's arrangea compromise. Neither of us alone has enough to go on. You need me andmy scrap of map. I need you and your bit of chart. We'll consolidateforces and go to Panama together. "

"Afraid you're a little late, captain. You play your hand and we'll playours. "

I had been increasing the distance between us. Now I turned sharply onmy heel and walked away almost at a run, for I did not like the idea oftaking with me a bullet in the small of my back. 

At the end of the wharf a figure brushed past me. Night had begun tofall, and in the gray dusk I could not make sure, but again I was oddlystruck by its resemblance to our engineer, Fleming. I slued around myhead to look a second time, but the fog had already swallowed him. Strange, I thought, that he had not recognized me; but perhaps, if theman was Fleming, he had found me too indistinct to know. 

At any rate it was a matter of no great importance. I pushed past thewarehouse to take an up-town car. 

CHAPTER VIII

ABOARD THE ARGOS

Blythe and I had agreed that an attempt would be made to relieve us ofthe map while we were carrying it from the safety-deposit vault to theship. So far as we could see it was Bothwell's last chance to gainpossession of the coveted chart, and he was not the man to leave a stoneunturned. 

At half past three we drove in the car of a friend to the InternationalSafe Deposit Company's place of business. He waited outside while wewent in to reclaim the document. 

Five minutes later we reappeared, the paper in the inside pocket of mytightly buttoned coat. My eyes explored to right and left. 

The thunder of trolley cars, the rumble of wholesale wagons, the buzz ofautomobiles, all made their contribution to the roar of the busy cañonup and down which men and women passed by hundreds. That Bothwell wouldmake an attempt at a hold-up here seemed inconceivable. But if not here, then--where? He had to have the map or give up the fight. 

Blythe followed me into the tonneau and our car swept out into thestream of traffic. Less than a quarter of an hour later we stepped downfrom the machine, shook hands with our friend, and took the boat whichwas waiting for us at the wharf. Even now we were alert, ready for anyemergency that might occur. 

Nothing happened, except our safe arrival at the _Argos_. Miss Wallaceand her aunt were on deck to welcome us. Sam and I exchanged rathersheepish glances. Nobody likes to be caught making a mountain out of amole hill, and that was apparently what we had done. Our elaboratepreparations to defend the map during the past half hour had beenunnecessary. 

"Tide right, Mr. Mott?" Blythe asked. 

"All right, sir. "

"Then we'll start at once. "

I retired to my cabin, disposed of a certain document, and presentlyreturned to the deck. The engines were throbbing and the _Argos_ wasbeginning to creep. 

"We're off, " I said to Miss Wallace, who was standing by my side on thebridge deck leaning upon the rail. 

"Yes, we're off. Luck with us, " she cried softly with shining eyes. 

I looked at her and smiled. The excitement that burned in her I couldunderstand, since I too shared it. We were answering the call of the seaand its romance was tingling in our blood. Into what wild waters we wereto be whirled none of us had the slightest guess. It was fortunate thatthe future was screened by a veil behind which we could not peep. 

The quiver of the engines grew stronger. The _Argos_ was walking smartlyout into the bay, her funnels belching black smoke. A stiff wind wasblowing and the vessel leaped as she took the waves. Behind us in thefalling dusk the lights of the city began to come out like stars. 

"I wonder when we'll see her again, " my companion said softly, her gazeon the hill of twinkling lights. 

Like a Winged Victory her fine, lithe figure was outlined by the wind, which had flung back the white skirt against the slender limbs, showingthe flowing lines as she moved. In her jaunty yachting cap, the heavychestnut hair escaping in blowing tendrils, a warmer color whipped intoher soft cheeks by the breeze, there was a sparkle to her gayety, achampagne tang to her animation. One guessed her an Ionian goddess ofthe sea reincarnated in the flesh of a delightful American girl. 

It was this impression on me that gave the impetus to my answer. 

"Not too soon, I hope. "

Miss Berry joined us. I tucked her arm under mine and the three of ustramped the promenade deck. Mott went down to his dinner and Blythe tookthe wheel. My friend was an experienced sailor, and he had that dash ofdaring which somehow never results in disaster. We could see the menscurrying to and fro at his orders. The white sails began to belly outwith the whistling wind. 

Blythe roared an order down the speaking tube and swung round the spokesof the wheel. Straight toward the Golden Gate we sprang, bowling alongwith increasing speed. Past Tamalpais we scudded and through thenarrows, out to the fresh Pacific like a bloodhound taking the scent. 

"By the way she's going the _Argos_ smells treasure at our journey'send, " I laughed. 

"Oh, I like this! Isn't it glorious?" the girl murmured. 

"You come of sailor blood, " I reminded her. "Many a girl would be in thehands of the ship's doctor already. "

"Didn't know we had a doctor on board. "

"Morgan will have to serve in lieu of one. But there goes the dinnergong. We must go and get ready. "

"I suppose so, " she sighed regretfully. "But it's a pity to miss amoment of this. Do you see that glow on the water? Is that why it'scalled the Golden Gate?"

"I fancy the argonauts called it that because it was the passage throughwhich they passed on their way to the gold fields. And for the samereason we can give it that name too. "

We moved to the stairway, which was in the pavilion, and descended toour rooms on the main deck. 

As soon as I had entered mine I switched on the light and threw off mycoat. Collar and tie followed the coat into the berth. I passed into thebath room and washed. At the moment I flung the towel back on the rack asound came to me from my bedroom. I turned quickly, to see a diminutivefigure roll from the back of the bed and untangle itself from my coat. 

"Please, I'm awful sick, Mr. Sedgwick, " a voice lugubriously groaned. 

I stood staring at the little yellow face. The forlorn urchin was ouroffice boy, Jimmie Welch. 

"You young cub, what are you doing here?" I demanded. 

"I'm a stowaway, " he groaned. "Like Hall Hiccup, the Boy Pirate, youknow. But, by crickey, I wouldn't a come if I'd a known it would be likethis. "

"Didn't I tell you that you couldn't come? How did you get here?"

"Golly, I'm sick! I'm going to die. "

"Serves you right, you young rascal. "

I didn't blow him up any more just then. Instead I hurriedly offeredfirst aid to the seasick. He felt a little better after that. 

"I told Mr. Mott you had sent me on an errand. He thought I'd goneashore again, mebbe. "

"That's where you'll go as soon as we reach San Pedro. "

"Yes, sir. Hope so. " He groaned woefully. "Thought you'd need a cabinboy, sir, but I'll never do it again, s'elp me. "

"I'm going to give you a licking as soon as you get well. Don't forgetthat. Now I have to leave you. I'll be back after a while. Go to sleepif you can. "

By reason of Jimmie I reached the dinner table as the soup was beingremoved. Only four of us messed in the cabin. Mott, the engineers, andMorgan had a separate table of their own aft. 

"Late already, my boy. This won't do. Ship's discipline, you know. Makea report and clear yourself, " Blythe called out as I entered. 

"My patient seems a bit better, " I announced, sitting down opposite MissWallace. 

"Your patient?" that young woman repeated. 

"Yes, I find I have a guest to share my cabin with me, and he has begunby yielding to an attack of _mal-de-mer_. "

"Is this a conundrum? I'm not good at them. " This from Miss Berry. 

"No, it's a stowaway. The conundrum is to know what to do with thelittle rascal. "

"Meaning who?"

"James A. Garfield Welch. I found him tucked away in my berth, very muchthe worse for wear. "

The Englishman helped himself to asparagus tips and laughed. 

"He's certainly a persevering young beggar. He hung around me for threedays trying to persuade me to take him. Now he's here on French leave. "

"He'll have to make himself useful, now he's here. The little idiotimagines himself a sort of boy pirate, so he explained to me. I'm goingto try to introduce a little sense into his system by means of a strapapplied to the cuticle. "

"Oh, I wouldn't, " Evelyn begged quickly. "Poor fellow! I daresay hewanted to come as badly as we did. "

"He happens to have a mother, " I added dryly. "She's no doubt worryingher life out about the young pirate. I really think we owe him a lickingon her account. "

"Poor woman! She must be feeling dreadfully. Isn't there any way ofletting her know that he is safe?" Miss Berry asked. 

"We'll have to call in at San Pedro, though that means the loss of aday. We can send the youngster home from Los Angeles, " Blythe suggested. 

"If his mother is willing, Jimmie might go on with us. He would beuseful to run errands, " Evelyn proposed. 

"Jimmie has a staunch friend in you, Miss Wallace. We'll think it over. There's plenty of time before we reach Los Angeles, " our captainanswered. "He can take the upper berth in the cook's cabin. Have himmoved after dinner, Morgan. "

We lingered after dinner till the second dog watch was over, when Blytheexcused himself to go on deck. I soon followed him, for though I am nosailor I was rated as second officer on the _Argos_, Mott being thefirst. 

I had not yet had a good view of the crew and I looked them overcarefully as Blythe divided them in watches. They appeared a livelyenough lot, though it struck me that one or two showed sullen faces. 

Caine, the boatswain, was a villainous looking fellow, due in part tothe squint of his eyes that set them at different angles. But he turnedout a thoroughly capable man with a knack of getting out of the men allthat was in them. 

Under Mott's supervision I took a turn at the wheel, for I did notintend, if I could help it, to be deadwood throughout the whole cruise. I could see Miss Wallace pacing the deck with Blythe for hours, hiscigar tip glowing in the darkness as they advanced toward the wheelhouse. I would have liked to join them, but I had set out to make ofmyself enough of a sailor to serve at a pinch, and I stuck to my task. It was late when I reached my cabin. I must have fallen asleep at once, for it was day again before I knew anything more. 

We met at breakfast, the four of us, and not one but was touched by theloveliness of which we were the center. It was not a new story toBlythe--this blue arched roof of sky, this broad stretch of sea, thiswarm sun on a day cool enough to invigorate the blood--but he too showeda lively pleasure in it. 

Miss Berry took some fancy work and a magazine with her on deck andspent the morning placidly in a steamer chair, but her niece and I weretoo full of our pleasure to rest so contentedly. 

To any who have sailed on the glassy breast of the Pacific day afterday, knowing all the little pleasures of life aboard a well-foundturbine yacht, a description would be superfluous; to one who has neverknown it, such an attempt would be entirely futile. By eitheralternative I am debarred from trying to set down the delight of ourdays, the glory of our nights of stars. 

CHAPTER IX

BOTHWELL MAKES A MOVE

We put into San Pedro in the early morning and tied up opposite the_Harvard_. Blythe and I ran up to Los Angeles on the electric, takingJimmie Welch with us. 

No matter how well one may be equipped for an expedition, every porttouched finds needs to be satisfied. After I had wired Mrs. Welch thather hopeful was safe and would be returned to her or retained as ship'sboy at her desire, I spent the morning executing commissions for theladies and attending to little matters that needed looking after. 

We made an appointment to lunch at one of Los Angeles' numberlesscafeterias. I went out of my way to the telegraph office to get theanswer from Mrs. Welch, for which reason I was a few minutes late toluncheon. 

A stranger to me was sitting opposite Blythe. My friend introduced himas Mr. Yeager, known all over Arizona as Tom Yeager. It appeared thathe had come to the coast with a couple of carloads of steers, havingdisposed of which, time was hanging heavy on his hands. 

Anybody who has lived in the cattle country knows the Yeager type. Hewas a brown, lithe man, all sinew, bone and muscle. His manner was easyand indifferent, but out of his hard face cool, quiet eyes judged menand situations competently. 

Over many straight and crooked trails his thirty-five years had broughthim without shame. No doubt he had often skirted the edge of law, buteven when he had been a scamp his footsteps had followed ways justifiedby his code. 

I gathered from their talk that Blythe and he had served together in theRough Riders during the Spanish War. They were exchanging reminiscencesand Jimmie Welch was listening open-mouthed to their conversation. 

"Say, ain't he a peacherino, Mr. Sedgwick, " whispered my young hopeful. "Get onto those muscles of his. I'll bet he's got a kick like a mule ineither mitt. Say, him and Teddy Roosevelt must 'a' made the dagoes sickdown in Cuba. "

More jokes and stories of camp life passed back and forth. 

"Do you reckon he ever killed a Spaniard?" Jimmie murmured to me. 

"Better ask him, " I suggested. 

But at thought of this audacity to his hero the young pirate collapsed. I put the question for him. 

The cowman grinned. 

"Only one, Jimmie. And he ain't all mine. Me and a fellow called theHonorable Samuel Blythe was out scouting one day while we were pushingthrough the tangle of brush toward Santiago. I reckon we got tooanxious. Anyhow, we bumped into an ambush and it was a swift hike for usback to the lines. The bullets were fair raining through the leavesabove us. Recollect, Sam?"

Blythe nodded. 

"Rather. Whenever I think of it pins and needles run down my back. "

"Well, we cut a blue streak for camp, those fellows after us on thejump. I used to think I was some runner, but the Honorable Samuel set meright that day. He led good and strong, me burning the wind behind and'steen Spaniards spread out in the rear. A fat little cuss was leadingthem, and the way he plowed through that underbrush was a caution. Youwant to remember, Jimmie, that the thermometer was about a hundred andfifty in the shade. I went till I was fit to drop, then looked round andsaw Don Fatty right close. I hadn't invited him to my party, so Icracked away at him with my gun. "

"And you killed him, " Jimmie breathed, his eyes popping out. 

"Killed nothing, " answered the Arizonian in disgust. "I missed him amile, but he was so plumb discouraged with the heat and with running hislaigs off that he up and laid down and handed in his checks. He's theonly Spaniard I've got to my credit and Mr. Blythe here always claimedhalf of him because he ran faster. "

"You're kidding me, " announced Jimmie promptly. 

"Well, I've always had a kind a suspicion myself that mebbe he had justfainted. But I like to figure it out that I destroyed one of mycountry's enemies that day, with a leetle help from my friend here. "

While Yeager was joyously fabricating this yarn Blythe had been writingon the back of an envelope. This he now shoved quietly across to me. 

 He's as well-plucked as they make them, Jack--and straight as a string. Want to make him a proposition to join us?

Those were the lines he had penciled on the envelope. Beneath them Iwrote two words: "Suits me. "

Jimmie's mother had consented to let him go on with us. Now I took himaway to get some necessary wearing apparel, leaving Blythe to make aproposition to Yeager. 

"Your mother says I'm in full charge of you. That means I'm to lick youwhenever you need it, " I told Jimmie, for I had already discovered thatmy young sleuth needed considerable repressing from time to time. 

"Yes, sir. I'll do whatever you say, " agreed Young America, who was longsince over his seasickness and was again eager for the voyage. 

The Englishman nodded when I saw him an hour later. 

"Tom's in with us. "

"He understands this ain't a pleasure excursion, doesn't he?" I asked. 

"Folks take their pleasure different, Mr. Sedgwick, " drawled the cowman. "I shouldn't wonder but I might enjoy this little cruise even if it getslively. "

"My opinion is that it may get as lively as one of your own broncos, " Iexplained. 

"I'll certainly hope for the worst, " he commented. 

I turned Jimmie over to my friends and spent the afternoon with acollege classmate who was doing newspaper work on the _Herald_. Inlooking up a third man who also had belonged to our fraternity, timeslipped away faster than we had noticed. It was getting along towardsunset when I separated from my friends to take the interurban for SanPedro at the big electric station. Before my car reached the port, duskwas falling. 

Whistling as I went, I walked briskly down the hill toward the wharf. AsI passed an alley my name was called. I stopped in my stride and turned. Then a jagged bolt of fire seared my brain. My knees sagged. I groped inthe darkness, staggering as I moved. About that time I must have lostconsciousness. 

When I came to myself I was lying in the alley and a man was goingthrough my clothes. A second man directed him from behind a revolverleveled at my head. Both of them were masked. 

"I tell you it ain't on him, " the first man was saying. 

"We want to make dead sure of that, mate, " the other answered. 

"If he's got it the damned thing is sewed beneath his skin, " retortedthe first speaker. 

"He's coming to. We'll take his papers and his pocketbook and set sail, "the leader decided. 

I could hear their retreating footsteps echo down the alley and wasquite sensible of the situation without being able to rise, or even cryout. For five minutes perhaps I lay there before I was sufficientlymaster of myself to get up. This I did very uncertainly, a little at atime, for my head was still spinning like a top. Putting my hand to theback of it I was surprised to discover that my palm was red with blood. 

As I staggered down to the wharf I dare say the few people who met meconcluded I was a drunken sailor. The _Argos_ was lying at the oppositeside of the slip, but two of our men were waiting for me with a boat. One of them was the boatswain Caine, the other a deckhand by the name ofJohnson. 

"Split me, but Mr. Sedgwick has been hurt. What is it, sir? Did youfall?" the boatswain asked. 

"Waylaid and knocked in the head, " I answered, sinking down into thestern on account of a sudden attack of dizziness. 

Caine was tying up my head with a handkerchief when the mists clearedagain from my brain. 

"All right, sir. A nasty crack, but you'll be better soon. I've sentJohnson up to have a lookout for the guys that done it, " the boatswaintold me cheerily. 

"No use. They've gone to cover long since. Call him back and let's getacross to the ship. "

"Yes, sir. That will be better. "

He called, and presently Johnson came back. 

"Seen anything of the scoundrels, Johnson?" demanded Caine. 

"Not a thing. "

I had been readjusting the handkerchief, but I happened to look upunexpectedly. My glance caught a flash of meaning that passed betweenthe two. It seemed to hint at a triumphant mockery of my plight. 

"Caine is a deep-sea brute, mean-hearted enough to be pleased at whathas happened, " I thought peevishly. Later I learned how wide of the markmy interpretation of that look had been. 

A chorus of welcome greeted me as I passed up the gangway to the deck ofthe _Argos_. One voice came clear to me from the rest. It had in it thesweet drawl of the South. 

"You're late again, Mr. Sedgwick. And--what's the matter with yourhead?"

"Nothing worth mentioning, Miss Wallace. Captain Bothwell has beentrying to find what is inside of it. I think he found sawdust. "

"You mean----"

"Knocked in the head as I came down to the wharf. Serves me right forbeing asleep at the switch. Think I'll run down to my room and wash theblood off. "

Yeager offered to examine the wound. He had had some experience inbroken heads among the boys at his ranch, he said. 

"Perhaps I could dress the hurt. I had a year's training as a nurse, "suggested Miss Wallace, a little shyly. 

"Mr. Yeager is out of a job, " I announced promptly. 

The girl blushed faintly. 

"We'll work together, Mr. Yeager. "

She made so deft a surgeon that I was sorry when her cool, firm fingershad finished with the bandages. Nevertheless, I had a nasty headache andwas glad to get to bed after drinking a cup of tea and eating a slice oftoast. 

CHAPTER X

ANOTHER STOWAWAY

Southward ho! Before the trade winds we scudded day after day, pastCatalina Island and San Diego, past Santa Margarita lying like a fogbank on the offing, out into the warm sunshine of the tropical Pacific. 

We promised ourselves that after the treasure had been lifted and wewere headed again for the Golden Gate, our sails should have a chance toshow what they could do alone, but now Blythe was using all his power todrive the _Argos_ forward. 

What plans Bothwell might have we did not know, but we were taking nochances of reaching Doubloon Spit too late. If we succeeded in gettingwhat we had come after there would be plenty of time to dawdle. 

No days in my life stand out as full of enjoyment as those first onesoff the coast of Lower California and Mexico. Under a perfect sky wesailed serenely. Our fears of Bothwell had vanished. We had shaken himoff and held the winning hand in the game we had played with him. Thetang of the sea spume, of the salt-laden spray was on our lips; thesongs of youth were in our hearts. 

Every hour that I was not on duty, except those given to necessarysleep, I spent in the company of Evelyn Wallace. Usually her aunt wasalso present, and either Blythe or Yeager. That did not matter in theleast, so long as my golden-brown beauty was near, so long as I couldwatch the dimples flash in her cheeks and the little nose crinkle tosudden mirth, or could wait for the sweep of the long lashes that wouldbring round to mine the lovely eyes, tender and merry and mocking byturns. 

Faith, I'll make a clean breast of it. I was already fathoms deep inlove, and my lady did not in the least particularly seem to favor me. There were moments when hope was strong in me. I magnified a look, aword, the eager life in her, to the significance my heart desired, butreason told me that she gave the same friendly comradeship to Blythe andYeager. 

It is possible that the absorption in this new interest dulled myperception of external matters. So at least Sam hinted to me one nightafter the ladies had retired. Mott was at the wheel, a game of solitairein the smoking room claimed Yeager. Blythe and I were tramping the deckwhile we smoked. 

"Notice anything peculiar about the men to-day and yesterday, Jack?" heasked in a low voice. 

We were for the moment leaning against the rail, our eyes on thephosphorescent light that gleamed on the waves. 

"No-o. Can't say that I have. Why?"

He smiled. 

"Thought perhaps you hadn't. When man's engaged----"

"What!" I interrupted. 

"---- engaged in teaching a pretty girl how to steer, he doesn't noticelittle things he otherwise might. "

"Such as----" I suggested. 

He looked around to make sure we were alone. 

"There's something in the wind. I don't know what it is. "

"Something to do with the crew?"

"Yes. They know something about the reason why we're making this trip. You haven't talked, of course?"

"No. "

"Nor Miss Wallace? Perhaps her aunt----"

"It doesn't seem likely. Whom would she talk to?"

"Some of the men may have overheard a sentence or two. The point is thatthey are talking treasure in the f'c'sle. Morgan got it from Higgins. "

"From the cook?"

"Yes. Afterward the man was sorry he had spoken. He's the type thatcan't keep a secret. Some of it is bound to leak out in his talk. "

"Couldn't Morgan find out where Higgins learned what he knows?"

"No. I had him try. The man was frightened about what he had alreadysaid. He wouldn't say another word. That doesn't look well. "

After a moment of reflection I spoke. 

"Perhaps Bothwell may have told some of the men before we started. I sawhim talking to a man that looked like our chief engineer. "

"When was that?"

I told in detail about my meeting with Bothwell on the wharf. Of courseI had mentioned the occurrence at the time, but without referring toFleming. 

"Yes, he may have told Fleming about it, but----"

The uncompleted sentence suggested his doubt. 

"You think he isn't the man to give away anything without a goodreason?"

"You've said it. "

"Of course it's really no business of the crew what we are going after. "

"True enough, but we agreed among ourselves to tell them at the lastmoment and in such a way as to enlist them as partners with us. Unless Iguess wrong, their feeling is sullenness. They think we're after bootyin which they have no share. "

"They'll feel all the kinder to us when we let them know that apercentage of our profits is to go to the crew. "

"Will they? I wonder. "

He was plainly disturbed, more so than I could find any justificationfor in the meager facts and surmises he had just confided to me. 

"What is troubling you? What are you afraid of?"

"I can't put a name to my feeling, but I jolly well wish they didn'tknow. Seamen are a rough lot and they get queer ideas. "

"You don't imagine for an instant that they'll maroon us and hoist theJolly Roger, do you?" I asked with a laugh. 

He did not echo my laugh. 

"No, but I don't like it. I thought we had the game in our own hands, and now I find the crew has notions, too. "

"Don't you think you're rather overemphasizing the matter, Sam?"

"Perhaps I am. " He appeared to shake off his doubts. "In fact, I'mpretty sure I am. But I thought it best to mention the thing to you. "

"Glad you did. We'll keep an eye open and, if there's any trouble, nipit in the bud. "

This was easy enough to say, but the event proved far otherwise. Withintwenty-four hours we were to learn that serious trouble was afoot. 

It was midday of a Saturday, and the sky was clear and cloudless asthose which had gone before. During the forenoon we had been doing asteady fifteen knots, but there had been some slight trouble with theengines and we were now making way with the sails alone while theengineers overhauled the machinery. 

Yeager and I were standing near the cook's scuppers fishing for sharkwith fat pork for bait. More than once I had caught the flash of awhite-bellied monster, but Mr. Shark was wary about taking chances. 

Dugan, our carpenter, stopped as he was passing, apparently to watch us. Glancing at him I noticed something in his face that held my eyes. 

"There's trouble afoot, Mr. Sedgwick, " he broke out in a low, jerkyvoice. "For God's sake, make a chance for me to talk to you or CaptainBlythe!"

The cook came out of his galley at that moment. My wooden face told notales. 

"No chance. The beggar's too shy. I've had enough. How about you, Yeager?"

"Me to, " the Arizonian laughed easily, and he hauled up the line. 

I strolled forward to the pilot house, stopping to chat for an instantwith Miss Berry, who lay in a steamer chair under the awning. For I hadno intention of letting the men suspect that Dugan had told me anythingof importance. 

Blythe was at the wheel. I told him what Dugan had said. Our captain didnot turn a hair. 

"There's a shingle loose on the edge of the roof. Call Dugan to nail ittight. "

The carpenter brought a hammer and nails. Tom Yeager meanwhile wassitting on a coil of rope talking to Caine. His laughter rippled up tous care-free as that of a schoolboy. He never even glanced our way, butI knew he would be ready when we needed him. 

The captain turned the wheel over to me and stepped outside of thewheelhouse. Three or four of the men were lounging about the deck. Sofar as they could see, Blythe was directing the carpenter about thework and the latter was explaining how it could be best done. 

"Keep cool, my man. Don't let them guess what you are saying, " theEnglishman advised, lighting a cigar. 

"What have you to tell me?"

"Mutiny, sir. That's what it is. We're after treasure. That's the storyI've heard, and the men mean to take the ship. "

I thought of Evelyn and her aunt, and my heart sank. 

Sam stretched his arms and yawned. 

"When?"

"Don't know, sir. I've picked up only a little here and there. Cainecame to me this morning and asked me if I would go in with them. "

Dugan drove two nails into the shingle. 

"Do you know which of the men are stanch?"

"No, sir. Can't say as I do, outside of Alderson. Tom's all right. "

"What about arms?"

"They have plenty. They've been packed in a bulkhead, but Fleming andCaine gave them out to the men this morning. "

"The deuce! That looks ugly. They must be getting ready for businesssoon. If Caine approaches you again, fall in with his plans. Find outall you can, especially what men we can rely on. That will do. "

"Yes, sir. "

As soon as the man had gone the captain turned to me with a fightinggleam in his quiet eyes. 

"Well, Jack, it's worse by a devilish lot than I had thought. We're infor mutiny. I wouldn't ask for anything better than a turn with thesewharf rats if it weren't for the ladies. But with them aboard it'sdifferent. Wish I knew when Mr. Caine intends to set the match to thepowder. "

"What's the matter with my going down into the men's quarters and havinga look around? I might stumble on some information worth while. "

He shook his head. 

"No, thanks. I need my second officer. If he went down there an accidentmight happen to him--due to a fall down the stairway or something of thesort. "

"Then let me send Jimmie. Nobody would pay any attention to him. Hecould go into their quarters without suspicion. "

"It would be safe enough for him at present. Why not? Don't tell him toomuch, Jack. "

"Trust me. "

Jimmie jumped at the chance to go sleuthing again. I had told him ayarn about suspecting some of the men had whisky concealed in the ship. He was away less than half an hour, but when he came back it was with apiece of news most alarming. 

"Mr. Sedgwick, " he gasped, "you remember that big, black-faced guy youset me trailing in 'Frisco--Captain what's-his-name--well, he's on thisship sure as I'm a foot high!"

My heart lost a beat. "Certain of that, Jimmie?"

"Yep, it's a lead-pipe cinch. Saw him in the engine room talking to Mr. Fleming. When he seen me Mr. Fleming called me to come down. But not forJimmie. He took a swift hike up the stairs. "

The boy was all excitement. For that matter so was I, though I concealedit better. If Bothwell were on board the ship as a stowaway the aspectof affairs was more serious even than we had thought. 

"You're sure it was Captain Bothwell, Jimmie?"

"Say, would I know me own mother? Would I know Jim Jeffries or BattlingNelson if I got an eyeful of them walking down Market Street? Would I besure of the Chronicle Building if I set my peepers on it? Betcherlife. "

"How was he dressed?"

"In sailors' slops. Didn't have on any coat. Wasn't right sure of him atfirst, 'cause he's run a lawn mower over them whiskers of his. But thisguy's the original Bothwell all right, all right. "

"Jimmie, listen to me. Don't whisper a word of this. Do you hear?"

"I'm a clam. "

"And don't go exploring in that end of the ship again. Captain Bothwellwould as soon wring your neck as a chicken's, my boy. Keep away from theforecastle. "

Immediately I joined Blythe on the bridge and told him what Jimmie haddiscovered. 

The captain nodded. 

"That explains what was puzzling us. Bothwell has been too shrewd forus. He must have arranged it to throw his men in our way when we wereselecting a crew. The scoundrel is laughing in his sleeve at us becausewe're taking him and his men at our expense to the treasure. "

"He's diddled us beautifully, " I admitted with a sour grin. 

"I grant him one round. The man is dangerous as a wild beast that hasescaped from its cage. But we're warned now. If he bests us it's our ownfault. "

"It will be a finish fight, no surrender and no quarter. "

My friend nodded, his jaw gripped tight. 

"You've said it. "

"We've one advantage. All of us will stand together. He can't hold hisriffraff long. They will quarrel among themselves. Every day that passesworks in our favor. "

"Right enough, but Bothwell knows this as well as we do. He'll movesoon. We've forced his hand by discovering his presence. Now he can'tlet us get into port because he knows we would get help against him. "

"That's true. "

"Unless I guess wrong we'll hear from him inside of twenty-four hours. "

"Since it has to be, the sooner the better. "

Blythe shrugged his broad, lean shoulders coolly. 

"What must be must. As for Captain Bothwell, I don't think he'll have aneasy time of it. If he doesn't like the treatment he's going to gethe'll have nobody to blame but himself. Nobody asked him on board. "

"We must lose no time in making preparations to meet an attack. "

"You're right. Tell Mr. Mott I wish to see him. Have Yeager look ourweapons over and make sure that they are loaded. Tell him to guard thearmory until further notice. Better give Morgan a revolver at once andslip Dugan one if you can. "

The flinty resolution in his eye warmed my heart. Man for man, I wasready to back Blythe against Bothwell. 

The Scotch-Russian had more of the devil in him, a starker cruelty, amore blazing passion, and perhaps greater cunning; but if I read theEnglishman aright there was in him that same quiet force which carriedCaptain Scott to the south pole and afterward gave to the world thatimmortal letter, written in a bleak Antarctic waste of icy death. 

Sam Blythe would play the game out steadily to a fighting finish. 

CHAPTER XI

TAKING STOCK

Yeager was sitting with the ladies under the awning telling them somestory of his beloved Arizona. At a signal from me he arose and excusedhimself. We passed into the reception room and down the stairway. 

"You're armed, of course, " I said. 

"Me? I always pack a gun. Got the habit when I was a kid and nevershucked it. For rattlesnakes, " he added with a grin. 

"We have a few of them on board. Yeager, the kid saw Bothwell in theengine room talking with Fleming. Do you know what that means?"

"I can guess, I reckon, " he drawled. 

"It means war--and soon. "

"And war is hell, Sherman said. Let's make it hell for Bothwell. It'sabout time for me to begin earning my passage. What's the matter with mehappening down into the forecastle and inviting Capt. Bothwell up to bemore sociable?"

"Won't do at all. If he were alone it would be a different matter. Ifyou went down there you'd never come up alive. We need every man we'vegot. Think of the women. "

His light-blue eye rested in mine. 

"I'd give twenty cows if they were back in Los Angeles, Jack. "

From my pocket I took the key which unlocked the door of the room wecalled the armory. After I had selected two revolvers I left him thereattending to business. Morgan I found in Blythe's cabin. He took my newsquietly enough, though he lost color when I told him what we had toexpect. 

"I don't know much about revolvers, sir, " he said, handling veryrespectfully the one I handed him. 

"You'll know more in a day or two, " I promised. "Morgan, we're going tobeat these scoundrels. Be quite sure of that. "

"Yes, sir. Glad to hear it, sir, " he answered doubtfully. 

"You know Captain Blythe. He's worth half a dozen of these wharf rats. So is Mr. Yeager. "

"Are--are all the crew against us?" he asked after a moment's strugglewith his trepidation. 

"No, we know of at least two who are for us. Probably there are others. Don't be afraid. We're going to smash this mutiny. "

"Yes, sir. Captain Blythe will see to that. I put my faith in him. "

But in spite of what I had said it was plain that Morgan's faith was aquavering one. He was a useful man, competent in his own line, but his_métier_ plainly was not fighting. My news had given him a shock fromwhich he would not quickly recover. 

It was nearly time for the change of watches, and when I returned to thedeck I saw that Mott was already on the bridge. He listened to our storywith plain incredulity. 

"I know nothing about this man Bothwell, but say the word and I'll godown and haul him on deck for you, Captain Blythe, " he offered, contemptuously. 

"You don't understand the situation. He's as dangerous as a mad dog. "

"I've yet to see the first stowaway I couldn't bring to time. They're achicken-hearted lot, take my word for it. "

"He isn't a stowaway at all in the ordinary sense of the word. I'll beplain, Mr. Mott. We're after treasure, and Bothwell means to get it. Thecrew are with him. "

"Slap doodle bugs!" retorted our first officer. "I make nothing at allof your story, captain. Thirty years I've sailed this coast and I'veyet to see my first mutiny. Haul up this fellow Bothwell and set himswabbing decks. If he shows his teeth, give him a rope's end or amarlinspike. I'll haze him for you a-plenty. "

I could have smiled at Mott's utter lack of appreciation of our dilemmaif his bull-headed obstinacy had not been likely to cost us so much. 

"You don't understand the man with whom we have to deal, Mr. Mott. Hesticks at nothing, " I explained. 

"Beg pardon, Mr. Sedgwick. He'd stick at deck swabbing if I stood overhim with a handspike, " the burly mate answered grimly. "Truth is, gentlemen, I don't think that of your mutiny. " And he snapped hisfingers with a complacent laugh. "Mind you, I don't deny the men are abit unsettled, what with all this talk of treasure that's going around. What they need is roughing and, by the jumping mercury, Johnny Mott isthe man to do it!"

There are none so blind as those who will not see. We could not evenpersuade Mott to accept a revolver. He had made up his mind that thewhole thing was nothing more or less than a mare's nest. 

"What do you know of the men?" I urged. "Take our engineers. We pickedup the Flemings on the wharf because we needed engineers in a hurry. The day before we sailed I saw George Fleming on the wharf talking tothis man Bothwell. They are working together against us. "

"What of it? Let them work. But don't go to dreaming about mutiny, Mr. Sedgwick. You ask what I know of the crew. By your leave, I know thismuch. I've bullied American seamen for thirty years come next November, and there's not an ounce of mutiny in a million of them. "

And at that we had to let it go for the present. There were moreimportant things on hand than the conversion of a wooden-headed tar. 

Leaving Mott at the wheel we adjourned to the deck saloon for adiscussion of ways and means. Miss Wallace sauntered in with a magazinein her hand. 

The captain's eye questioned mine. I nodded. She would have to learnsoon how things stood, and I trusted to her courage to hear the newswithout any fainting or hysterics. The color washed out of her face, butshe showed not the least sign of panic. 

"What can I do?" she asked in a steady voice. 

"At present you may join an officers' council, Miss Wallace, " said he. "The first thing to find out is who are for us and who against. Let'stake the enemy first. There is Bothwell himself to begin with, and, ofcourse, the two Flemings and Caine. Are we sure of any others?"

"Johnson, " I replied at once. "He was one of the two men who attacked meat San Pedro. I thought at the time one of the voices sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. After I reached the boat I noticed Cainewatching me closely. The reason is clear enough to me now. He andJohnson slugged me, and he was watching to see if I had any suspicion ofhim. "

"Sure, Jack?"

"Quite. I couldn't swear to them, but I'm morally certain. Johnson'sEnglish is just a little broken. It was his voice I knew. "

"That makes five against us so far. We can add the firemen to that, since George Fleming chose them. "

"Eight to begin with. What about the rest of the crew?"

"The man they call Tot Dennis was signed for me by Caine. Afraid we'llhave to give him to the enemy. "

"Williams is a great friend of Dennis. I've seen them together a lot, "Evelyn suggested. 

"That's true, but Williams has sailed with me twice before. I did thinkI could have trusted him. "

"No doubt Caine and Bothwell have been influencing him. Put Williamsdown doubtful. "

We checked off the rest of the crew by name, but could find no evidenceagainst any of them. 

"How many can we depend upon?" Evelyn asked. 

"Yeager, Mott, Morgan, Jack here, and myself. That's five to beginwith, " counted Blythe. 

"Dugan and Alderson, " I added. 

"Seven. Any more?"

"Our steward. Phillips is his name. "

"Sure, Miss Wallace?"

"He's the most harmless creature on earth. "

The captain smiled. 

"Afraid he won't be of much use to us then. We want harmful men. Butcount him. That makes eight for us, nine against us, six doubtful. We'lldo very nicely. "

"And there's the cook. He's so fat and good-natured he must be allright, " Evelyn suggested. 

"By Jove! I'd forgotten 'Arry 'Iggins. No, he's against us. He talked tomy man Morgan. "

"And I suppose his flunky, Billie Blue, goes with cookie?" I added. 

"The nine against us is now eleven, " the girl said quietly. 

I spoke cheerfully, which is far from how I felt. 

"Oh, well, what's the odds? Nine or eleven, we'll beat them. "

A steamer rug lying on a lounge at the end of the room heaved itself up. From its folds emerged the red head of Jimmie, belligerently. Its ownerhad evidently been roused from a nap. 

"Where do I get off at I'd like to know?" demanded the indignantnamesake of a martyred President. "Didn't I run down his nibs for you in'Frisco and wise you where he was staying? Didn't I find out he wasaboard here? Why ain't you countin' me in?"

Blythe assented gravely, but with a twinkle in his eye. 

"Our error, Jimmie. Counting you we have nine good men and true. "

"One of Jimmie's strong points is that he doesn't talk. He knows how tokeep his mouth shut. Don't you, Jimmie?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Sedgwick. I'm a clam, I am. "

I nodded. 

"Then run along and keep an eye on things outside. If you see anythingsuspicious, let me know at once. "

"Yes, sir. You bet you. " And the boy was off at the word. 

"Couldn't we put back to San Diego?" Miss Wallace asked. 

The captain shook his head. 

"No. If I turned the ship's head they would be about our ears likerats. "

"We'll have to keep on as we are going. "

A sardonic smile touched Blythe's strong, lean face. 

"It's Mr. Bothwell's move. If we turned back he would have to stop us;if we continue to Panama he must prevent us from going into the harbor, or his game is up. "

"Then what will he do?"

"He'll move, Miss Wallace. "

She looked at him, a man of quiet, contained strength, and some sort ofvision of what we were to go through flitted before her mind. Her lipswere gray and bloodless. 

"That dreadful treasure!" she murmured. "Why did we ever come after it?"

A faint sound drew me to my feet and across the room to the stairway. Afat bulk of a man was crouched on the steps about half-way down. Hescuttled to his feet at sight of me. 

"Good afternoon, Higgins! Just taking a nap on the stairs, I presume, "was my ironical greeting. 

The color faded from his blotched face. 

"No, sir, not as you might say----" He moistened his dry lips with thetip of his tongue and tried again. "Truth is, sir, Hi wanted to ask MissWallace what she would like for dinner. "

"That's very considerate of you. And I'm sure it's the truth. You weremerely resting on the way. Come on up, Higgins. That is, if you're nowable to finish the journey. Or shall I help you?"

The tail of his eye had swung round to take in the lower deck. I couldhave sworn the man was considering making a bolt for it, but at my wordshe gave up the idea with a fat sigh. He came up slowly, his eyes fixedon mine as if I held them fascinated. Tiny beads of sweat stood out onhis forehead. 'Arry 'Iggins was not at that moment comfortable in hismind. 

"Hi strive to please, sir, " he explained. "Whatever the young lady wouldlike. Hin a manner of speakin' I'm 'er 'umble servant, very respectably, 'Arry Iggins. "

He ducked his head toward her and again toward Blythe. 

"Come here, " the captain ordered. 

Higgins shuffled reluctantly forward. 

"When did you first meet this man Bothwell?"

"Beg pardon, sir. Don't think I know the gent, sir. "

The Englishman's eyes pierced into his fellow-countryman like a drill. 

"Don't lie to me. "

The cook had recourse to a large bandanna handkerchief to mop away hisperspiration. 

"If you mean the stowaway, sir, Hi met 'im just before we reached LosAngeles. "

"How many of the crew are with him in this mutiny?"

"Mutiny, sir?"

"I don't mince words. How many?"

"There you 'ave me, sir. S'elp me, Captain Blythe, Hi'm not in 'isconfidence. "

The man's painful assumption of innocence would have been pathetic hadit not been ridiculous. 

"I know that, " retorted my friend contemptuously. "He'lluse you and chuck you aside, dead or alive, whichever ismost convenient. Bothwell would as soon knife his fatfriend as wink. But that's not the point just now. You'll--tell--me--all--you--know--about--this--affair--at--once. Understand?"

Higgins wriggled like a trout on the hook, but he had to tell what heknew. In point of fact this was not much more than we had alreadylearned. 

"You will go back to Bothwell and tell him to start the band playingjust as soon as he has his program arranged. Tell him we don't care ajackstraw for his mutiny, and that if he lives through it we'll take himin irons to Panama and have him hanged as high as Haman. Get that, myman?" demanded Blythe. 

"Yes, sir. 'Anged as 'igh as 'Aman. Hi'll remember, sir. "

Sam turned to me and spoke in a low voice. 

"Before this fellow goes I want Mott to hear what he has said. TakeYeager up with you and relieve him. And see that Alderson gets arevolver. "

I took our mate's place at the wheel and sent him forward. Tom Yeagerleaned on the ship's rail and looked away across the glassy waters ofthe Pacific. I remember that he was humming, as was his fashion, asnatch from a musical comedy. 

It was such a day as one dreams about, with that pleasant warmth in theair that makes for indolent content. One or two of the men were lounginglazily on the forecastle deck. Caine was reading a book of travels I hadlent him the previous day. 

Were we all, as Mott believed, the victims of a stupid nightmare? Orcould it be true that beneath all this peace boiled a volcano ready atany minute for an eruption?

Mott returned in an unpleasant mood. The truth is that he was nursing agrudge because he was the last man on board to know that we were on acruise for treasure. He resented it that our party had not told him, andhe took it with a bad grace that every man jack of the crew had beenwhispering for days about something of which he had been kept in thedark. Upon my word I think he had some just cause of complaint. 

While he jeered at the precautions we were taking I tried to placatehim, for now of all times we could least afford to have any quarrels inour party. 

"You will admit there is no harm in going prepared, Mr. Mott?" I argued. 

"To be sure. Ballast yourselves with revolvers, for all I care. I'llcarry one because Captain Blythe has ordered it, but don't expect me tojoin in the play acting. "

I felt myself flushing. 

"The situation appears to us a very serious one. "

"Slap doodle bugs! Let Captain Blythe give the word and I'll go down andbring up this bogey man, that is, if there is such a fellow aboard atall. "

Presently I was called down to luncheon. I found Miss Wallace lingeringwith Blythe in the dining-room. As soon as I arrived the captain left. 

Philips waited on me. He had already heard the news, and was ashen. Hishands trembled as he passed dishes so that I was sorry for him. 

"He's badly frightened, poor man, " the young woman whispered to meacross the table during one of his absences. "I wish I could tell himthat there will probably be no serious trouble. "

Her eyes appealed to mine. I could see that with her aunt and poorPhilips on her hands she was in for no easy time. But I could not lie toher. 

"What do you think yourself? You know your cousin. Will he lie down andlet us win without a fight?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. He'll go through with his villainy, nomatter what it costs. "

"Yes. There is no use blinking the facts. We're in for a test ofstrength. I'm sorry, but the only way to meet the situation is to acceptit and be ready for it. I don't fear the result. "

She looked steadily at me. 

"Nor I. But it's dreadful to have to wait and hold our hands. I wish Icould do something. "

"You can, " I smiled. "You may pass me the potatoes, and after I havefinished eating you may play for us. We must show these scurvy ruffiansthat we aren't a bit afraid of them. "

CHAPTER XII

MY UNEXPECTED GUEST

"And will they murder us all in our beds?"

Miss Berry, very white but not at all hysterical, had Blythe penned in acorner by the piano as she asked the question. 

"Don't be a goose, auntie, " her niece smiled affectionately. 

"The fact is that we were afraid you might complain of ennui, so we havestirred up a little excitement, " explained Sam. 

"Truly, Mr. Blythe?"

My friend looked at me appealingly and I came to the rescue. 

"Sailors are a queer lot. They often get notions that have to be knockedout of them. We'll try not to disturb you while we do the hammering, Miss Berry. "

A faint color washed back into her face. 

"Oh, I hope you are right. It would be dreadful if----" she interruptedherself to take a more cheerful view. "But I am sure Mr. Mott is right. He has been on the seas a great many years more than you two. He oughtto know best, oughtn't he?"

"Certainly, " I conceded. "And I hope he does. "

"Besides, Captain Bothwell is such a gentleman. I'm sure he wouldn't doanything so dreadful. I wish I could talk to him. He was always soreasonable with me, though Evie and he couldn't get along. "

I concealed my smile at the thought of Miss Berry converting him. 

The trumpet call to dinner diverted our thoughts. I dropped into my roomto wash before dinner, with the surprising result that I lost the meal. 

As I opened the door a low voice advised me to close it at once. Since Iwas looking into the wrong end of a revolver, and that weapon was in thehand of a very urgent person, I complied with the suggestion. The manbehind the gun was Boris Bothwell. 

"Hope I don't intrude, " I apologized, glancing at the disorder in mystateroom. 

The floor was littered with papers, coats, collars, ties, and underwear. Drawers had been dragged out and emptied, my trunk gutted of itscontents. Evidently the captain had been engaged in a thorough searchof the cabin when my entrance diverted his attention. 

"Not at all. I was hoping you would come, " he answered pleasantly. 

"Perhaps I should have knocked before entering, but then I didn't expectto find you here. "

"I came on impulse, " he explained. "I had reason to suppose you would bebusy for an hour or two. By the way, Evie _is_ entertaining. Did I evermention to you that it is my intention to marry her?"

"I think not. "

"Ah! Then I make a confidant of you now. Congratulate me, my friend. "

"Is this an official announcement?" I asked. 

"Hardly official, I think. The lady does not know it. "

"Then I think I'll wait till the engagement gets her O. K. "

"As you like, Mr. Sedgwick, but I assure you I am an irresistiblelover. "

"So I hear you say, " I replied coldly. "Was it to tell me this that youhave put me in debt to you for this call?"

"Hardly. To be frank, I came to get a map. "

I sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"Again?"

"As you say, again. "

"Quite like old times, isn't it? I am reminded of our 'Frisco Nights'Entertainment. The search for a map in other people's apartments isbecoming rather a habit with you, isn't it?"

"I'm a persistent beggar, " he admitted. 

"I regret we have no more copies to lend. "

He laughed indulgently. 

"_Touché, monsieur. _ But I don't care for copies. I am a collector oforiginals. "

"They are said to be expensive. "

"But valuable. "

"Still, the cost is a consideration. "

"Not when some one else pays the shot, Mr. Sedgwick. "

"I see. You expect those poor devils whom you are misleading to draw thechestnut out of the fire for you. "

"Exactly, " he admitted with the gayest aplomb. 

"You are willing that they should pay to the limit?" I asked, curious tosee how far his cynical audacity would carry him. 

He shrugged, with a lift of his strong hands. 

"That is as luck, or fate, or Providence--whichever you believe in, Mr. Sedgwick--deals out the cards. I'm not a god, you know. "

"You know that you cannot follow the course outlined without lives beinglost, " I persisted. 

"I'll take your word for it, " he flung back lightly. 

"That won't deter you in the least?"

"Wasn't it Napoleon who said one couldn't make an omelet withoutbreaking eggs?"

"And yet his omelet was not a success, " I reflected aloud. 

"Whose is, Mr. Sedgwick? We all have our Waterloos. Love, ambition, thesearch for wealth--none of them satisfy. But though none of us findhappiness we yet seek. That is human nature. "

I shot a question at him abruptly. 

"Suppose you got all this treasure--would you keep faith with thosepoor, deluded ruffians and share with them?"

His hardy smile approved me. 

"You're deep, my friend. Now I wonder what I would do? My tools _are_deluded. Wealth could not bring them the happiness they think it would. Most of them it would ruin. I fear it would be my duty to----"

"---- let them hold the sack, " I finished for him. 

"Precisely. "

"There is, then, no honor among thieves. "

"Not a bit. No more than there is among gentlemen. But since youobject to having eggs broken, I offer you an alternative. "

I waited. 

"In order to save eggs I'll ask you to turn over to me the map. "

"Where do you think I keep it? You've already searched my rooms and myperson. I'm no wizard. "

His black eyes bored into mine. 

"We've been over this ground once before, Mr. Sedgwick. You know me. I'mhere for business. "

"So I judge. "

"Come! This won't do. I'm a determined man. That map I'm going to have. Unless you want the scene to close with the final exit of John Sedgwick, find for me the map. "

"Suppose I tell you that I haven't it?"

"I shall believe you, since the evidence would support the assertion. Ishould then ask who has it?"

"You certainly are a man of one idea. I think I've never had thepleasure of talking with you that you didn't switch the conversationback to that map. "

He raised the revolver. 

"I asked a question. "

There was a step outside, followed by a knock on the door. "Come in, " Isang out instantly. 

Bothwell's furious gaze came back from the door just as I leaped. Abullet crashed through the skylight, for my arm had deflected his. Iwrapped myself about him in silent struggle for the weapon. We swayedagainst the bed and went down upon it hard, our weight tearing throughthe springs. Desperately I clung to his arm to keep the weapon frompointing at me. 

"Let go, Sedgwick, " a voice ordered. 

Sinewy fingers had tightened on Bothwell's throat and a strong hand hadwrenched the revolver from him. 

Panting, I struggled to my feet. My opportune friend covered the Russianwith his own weapon and drawled out a warning. 

"Don't you now, Mr. Pirate, or I'll certainly have to load you up withlead. "

Bothwell lay on the bed, his breast heaving from his exertions. In noman's looks have I ever seen a more furious malice, but he had senseenough to recognize that this was our moment. 

"If it ain't butting in, what were you gentlemen milling around soactive about this warm day?" asked Yeager. 

"Same old point of difference. Captain Bothwell wanted a map. "

Tom laughed gently. 

"Sho! You hadn't ought to be so blamed urgent, cap. It don't buy youanything. "

The Russian struggled with his rage, fought it down, and again found hisironic smile. 

"I am under the impression that it would have bought me a map if it hadnot been for your arrival, sir. "

"Too bad I spoiled yore game, then. "

"For the present, " amended the defeated man. "I am a person of muchresource, Mr. Sedgwick will tell you. " Then, with a glance at the bit ofplaster on my head: "He still wears a souvenir to remind him of it. "

"My little adventure at San Pedro. I always, credited you with that, captain. Thanks. "

"You're entirely welcome. More to follow, " he smiled. 

"What are you allowing to do with your guest, Sedgwick?" asked Yeager. 

"We'll leave that to Blythe. I suppose we had better put him in ironsand guard him. We can drop him off at Panama. "

"Any port in a time of storm, " suggested our prisoner blithely. 

"Personally, I'd like to see you marooned for a few months, " I growled, for the man's insolence ruffled me. 

I found Blythe on the bridge with Mott. 

"I have to report a prisoner of war captured, captain, " I announced informal military style. 

Blythe laughed. 

"Who is he?"

"Captain Boris Bothwell, sir. "

"What!"

I told him and Mott the circumstances. The mate unbent a little. 

"And the lubber shot at you? In your own cabin! Put him in irons andthrow him ashore at Panama. That's my advice, Mr. Blythe. Get rid ofhim, and you'll not hear any more about this mutiny business. "

"I'm of that opinion myself, Mr. Mott. We'll keep him under guard untilhe's in safe custody. "

Blythe followed me down to my cabin, and for the first time he andBothwell looked each other over. 

"This isn't a passenger ship, sir, " announced the owner of the _Argos_bluntly. "You've made a mistake, sir. We'll hand you over to theauthorities at Panama. "

Bothwell bowed. 

"Dee-lighted! I've always wanted to see the old city of Pizarro, Drakeand Morgan. Many a galleon has been looted of ingots and bullion by theold seadogs there. If I weren't so conscientious, by Jupiter, I'd turnpirate myself. "

"Haven't a doubt of it, " Blythe assented curtly. "We'll try to see thatyour opportunities don't match your inclinations. Unless I guess wrongyou wouldn't hesitate to cut a throat to escape if your hands werefree. "

"Not at all. "

"Just so. Merely as a formality we'll take the precaution of making sureyou haven't any weapons that might go off and injure you--or anybodyelse. Jack, may I trouble you to look in my cabin for a pair ofhandcuffs--middle right hand drawer of my dressing table?"

We made our prisoner secure and spelled each other watching him. Thefirst three hours fell to me. Except the Arizonian I think all of usfelt a weight lifted from our hearts. The chief villain was in our handsand the mutiny nipped in the bud. 

But Bothwell had managed to inject a fly into the ointment of mycontent. 

"We've drawn your sting now, " Blythe had told him before he left. 

"Have you? Bet you a pony I'll be free inside of twenty-four hours, " theRussian had coolly answered. 

CHAPTER XIII

MUTINY

It was in the afternoon of the day after our encounter with Bothwell--tobe more accurate, just after four bells. Miss Wallace and I were sittingunder the deck awning, she working in a desultory fashion upon a pieceof embroidery while I watched her lazily. 

The languorous day was of the loveliest. It invited to idleness, maderepudiation of work a virtue. My stint was over for a few hours at leastand I enjoyed the luxury of pitying poor Mott, who was shut up in astuffy cabin with our prisoner. 

Yeager, too, was off duty. We could hear him pounding away at the pianoin the saloon. Ragtime floated to us, and presently a snatch from "TheSultan of Sulu. "

 Since I first met you, Since I first met you, The open sky above me seems a deeper blue, Golden, rippling sunshine warms me through and through, Each flower has a new perfume since I first met you. 

"T. Yeager is a born optimist, " I commented idly. "Life is one long, glorious lark to him. I believe he would be happy if he knew raw, redmutiny were going to break out in twenty minutes. "

"He's very likable. I never knew a man who has had so many experiences. There's something right boyish about him. "

"Even if he could give me about a dozen years. "

"Years don't count with his kind. He's so full of life, so fresh and yetso wise. "

"His music isn't fresh anyhow. I move we go stop it. "

"Thank you, I'm very comfortable here. I don't second the motion, " shedeclined. 

"Motion withdrawn. But I'm going to tempt him from that piano just thesame. Jimmie, come here. Run down to the music-room and tell Mr. Yeagerthat Miss Wallace would like to see him. "

Evelyn laughed. 

"I think you're real mean, Mr. Sedgwick. "

"For saving the life of your musical soul?"

"He _is_ pretty bad, " she admitted. 

He was on the chorus again, his raucous exuberant voice riding it likeone of his own bucking broncos. 

Golden, rippling sunshine warms me through and through, Each flower has a new perfume since I first met you. 

"Bad. He's the worst ever. Thank Heaven, we've got him stopped! There hecomes with Jimmie. "

He moved across the deck toward us with that little roll usuallypeculiar to dismounted horsemen of the plains. 

"I _do_ like him, " the young woman murmured. "He's so strong and gentleand good-natured. I don't suppose he could get mad. "

"Oh, couldn't he? I'll ask him about that. "

"Now I _do_ think you're mean, " she reproached with a flash of her eyes. 

"You sent for me, Miss Wallace? Was it to throw him overboard becausehe's mean?" Yeager asked genially. 

Her eye was sparkling and her lips open for an answer, but the wordswere never spoken. For at that instant a man burst past us with bloodstreaming down his face from a ghastly cut in the forehead. He wasmaking for the bridge. 

"It's come, " I said, rising and drawing my revolver. 

"I must go to Auntie, " Evelyn said, very white about the lips. 

"Not now. She's perfectly safe. They won't trouble her till they havewon the ship. "

"And there will be some merry times before then, I expect, " said Tom, his hand on the butt of a revolver and his vigilant eye sweeping thedeck. 

We were hurrying forward to the wheelhouse. Every moment I expected tosee a rush of men tearing up the companionway, but all seemed quiet andorderly. The hands on deck either had not noticed Dugan, or else wereawaiting developments. 

"'Twas Caine did it, sir, " Dugan explained to Blythe. "I was lying in mybunk when he came down with the stowaway you were holding prisoner. "

"With Bothwell?" I cried. 

"Yes, sir. They asked me to join them in taking the ship. They put itplain they meant to get the treasure. "

"Do you know which of the men is with them?" I asked. 

"No, sir. Soon as I got the drift of what they were at I let Caine havemy fist in his dirty mouth. He came at me with a cutlas. I got this cutbefore I could break away. Gallagher tried to head me, but I bowled himover. "

"Do you know how Bothwell escaped?"

"Caine helped him. I heard Tot Dennis say that Mr. Mott had got his. That was just before they spoke to me. "

Evelyn sat down quickly. I think she wanted to faint. She too understoodwhat was meant by the words that Mott had "got his. "

"What about Alderson? Are you sure he can be trusted?" Blythe asked ofthe sailor. 

"Yes, sir. I can speak for him and for Smith. "

Alderson was on deck and I called him to us. He was a clean-cut seamanlyfellow of about thirty. His blue eyes were frank and self-reliant. 

"My man, there's mutiny aboard. That's the short of it. Are you for usor against us?"

"I'm for you, sir. "

"Good. We're going to beat the scoundrels, but there is going to befighting. "

"Yes, sir. "

"Bully for you!" cried Yeager, and slapped him on the back. "Can youshoot?"

"Not especially well, sir. "

"Listen to me, " ordered Blythe. "Our aim must be to hold the wheelhouseand the cabins. Mr. Sedgwick, you will take Miss Wallace back to thestaterooms and rally the rest of our forces. Mr. Mott is done for, I amafraid, but the rest of our friends are probably all right. Arm all ofthem. Get the rifles out. Better nail up the windows and lock the doorsafter you are in. Alderson and Dugan will go with you. You, too, Jimmie. Yeager, you are the best shot. I'll have you stay with me. "

"Hadn't you better join us and give up the wheelhouse for the present?"

The Englishman's eyes flashed. 

"Surrender my ship to that scum! I'm surprised at you, Jack. "

"I'm not surprised at you, " I grinned. "I meant only until we havebeaten them. "

"What about the rest of the crew who are for us?" Miss Wallace asked. 

"We'll have to give them time to declare themselves. "

We obeyed orders at once, Alderson supporting Dugan, who was growingweak from loss of blood. As we went to the reception room I caught sightof Tot Dennis, his hatchet face peering above the companionway at theend of the bridge deck. At sight of me his head disappeared hastily. Buthe had given me an idea. I hung back while the rest of our party passedinto the saloon, then walked forward quickly and descended to the lowerdeck. 

A little group of men were gathered at the hatchway leading to theforecastle. I stepped briskly toward them, though Johnson's revolver wascovering me. I'll admit I took a chance, but it was a calculated one. If Caine or Bothwell had been with them I would not have dared so far, but I reckoned that their mental habits as seamen were still strongenough to keep them from shooting an officer. 

"You poor devils, Dennis, Johnson and Mack! Do you know what this means?It spells hanging for every mother's son of you. Don't be a madman andfire that gun, Johnson. There's still a chance, even for you. Cut loosefrom the pirate you're serving and join the honest party. Mack, you'renot a mutineer, are you? You don't want to be hanged at the yardarm, doyou?"

The group at the stairway had become four instead of three. 

"Avast there, Mr. Sedgwick. Get back or I'll fire, " growled Caine. 

"I'm not speaking to you, Caine. Your bacon is cooked. I'm making myoffer to the others. I've got no time to wait, my men. Are you coming?"

A bullet from Caine's revolver whistled past my ear. I stayed no longer, but fell back to the stairs and took to my heels. A bullet chipped awaya splinter of wood beside me as I ran. 

I found Dugan stretched on one of the long saloon seats, already beingministered to by Morgan and Evelyn. Alderson had locked one door andwas on guard at the other, cutlas and revolver in hand. 

"Well done, Alderson. That's the way to keep a lookout, " I sang outcheerfully. 

"Thank you, sir. Were you hit? That was risky, sir, talking to themwithout cover. "

"They can't hit a barn door, " I answered with a laugh. 

I had moved over to the hospital corps and was looking down at thewounded man. 

"Is he badly hurt?" I asked. 

Evelyn looked at me with an expression I did not understand. 

"I don't think so. You mustn't do that again, Mr. Sedgwick. It isn'tright to take unnecessary risks. " Her voice was a little tense andstrained. 

We heard the sound of a shot and presently of slapping footsteps. 

"Let me in, " called a panting voice. 

Alderson turned to me. 

"It's Williams, sir. Shall I let him in?"

"Yes. "

There came the crack of a rifle. Simultaneously Williams burst in on us. 

"They're shooting at me, sir. I watched my chance to follow you. "

"You're an honest man?" I asked sharply. 

"Of course I am, sir. Couldn't say so with all of them around me. "

"Good. " I gave Jimmie the key of our armory. "Take Williams down and lethim choose a revolver and a cutlas. "

I would have gone with him myself, but at that moment a voice had hailedthe captain. Stepping from the saloon I saw Bothwell with a whitehandkerchief at the head of the stairway leading from the main deck. 

"Envoy to former Captain Blythe from the crew, " I heard him say. 

Crisp and clear sang the answer of our captain. 

"My man, I don't know you. If my crew have anything to say let them sendone of their own number. I don't deal with stowaways scalawags. "

"You'll deal with me if you deal with them. I've been elected captain inplace of Mr. Blythe, deposed. "

"The devil you have! Bite on this, my man. I own this boat, every stickand ribbon of her. I'm going to be master here. If the men want to talkI'll name conditions. Let them bring you and Caine up here in irons andput their arms down on the deck. That will be a preliminary to any talkbetween me and them. "

"You speak large, Mr. Blythe. "

"_Captain_ Blythe, my man, and don't you forget it! Now tramp. Get backto your ruffians or I'll put a bullet through you. "

"Would you fire on a flag of truce?"

"I recognize no flag of truce in your hands. Look lively. "

"I've only got to say that I'll take pleasure in settling your hash forthis, " Bothwell cried angrily. 

"I'm not Mr. Mott. You'll not find it so easy to murder me. Move!"

Bothwell disappeared with a curse. I retired into the saloon. 

Evelyn was standing near the door with a face in which I could read bothanxiety and anger. 

"Why do you expose yourself like that?" she cried. 

"I wanted to see what was going on. "

"You'll be shot. Then what shall we do?"

"There's not much danger yet, and I must keep in touch with our friendsforward. Don't you think we had better get your patient to bed?"

"I'm all right, sir, " Dugan spoke up faintly. 

"He ought to be kept quiet for a day or two, " his young nurse decided. 

"I'll take him down to my cabin. Perhaps you can get him something toput him to sleep, Miss Wallace. "

Miss Berry came up the stairs just as we were starting down. She lookedlike a ghost. 

"Mr. Sedgwick, I've just been wakened from a nap. I heard some onegroaning in the cabin next to mine. " She caught sight of Dugan'sbandaged head and cried out: "What's the matter? Has somethinghappened?"

"Don't be frightened, Miss Berry. "

"What are these men doing with pistols? Where does that blood comefrom?"

Evelyn came forward and took her aunt in her arms. 

"Dearie, we can trust Captain Blythe and Mr. Sedgwick. We mustn't makeit harder for them. Just now they are very busy. "

I looked my thanks. 

Williams and Jimmie returned from the armory. Morgan and Philips were attheir heels. The steward looked very yellow. 

"Let me know if there is any sign of trouble. I'll be back presently, " Itold Alderson. 

Having put Dugan to bed in my room, I stepped into the one where we hadbeen keeping our prisoner. Mott lay on the floor, his body still warm, quite dead. I judged that he had expired within the past few minutes. He had been struck with some blunt instrument and then knifed. The manhad paid for his obstinate disbelief with his life. 

I lifted the body to the bed, locked the door, and returned to thepromenade deck saloon. For the throb of the propeller had ceased. Animmediate attack was probably impending. 

Miss Berry was sobbing softly in the arms of her niece. In my absence wehad gained another adherent. Billie Blue, the cook's flunky, had come upfrom below. 

"Where is Higgins?" I asked. 

"Don't know, sir. He left right after lunch. "

Alderson, who had been craning out of the door, drew back his head tospeak. 

"They're coming, sir. "

"Down to your cabin, ladies. You go with them, Jimmie. Lock yourselvesin, " I ordered. 

Evelyn's white lips tried to frame some words as she passed me. Iunderstood what she wanted to say. 

"I'll be careful, " I promised. 

"I have no weapon, sir, " Billie Blue told me. 

I had brought up with me from below a repeating rifle, so I handed himone of my revolvers and an Italian dirk that had been hanging on thewall as an ornament. 

The second door I ordered locked. Putting my head out of one of thewindows I counted the enemy as they stood grouped near the stairway fromthe main deck. Bothwell was in the lead, followed by Caine. At theirheels trooped both engineers, the three firemen, the cook, Johnson, Mack, Gallagher, Dennis, Smith, and Neidlinger. It was not easy to countthem, because they shifted to and fro, but I was almost sure they werefourteen. The boatswain carried in his hand a towel, which he waswaving. 

"Crew to have a conference with you, Cap'n Blythe, " he called out. 

"I hold no conference with armed mutineers, " Blythe called back sternly. 

He was standing in the wheelhouse, rifle in hand. Beside him was thecurly head of Tom Yeager. 

"This here ship's company offers to do the square thing, share and sharealike, cap'n, " boomed out the boatswain. "We wants a bit of that theretreasure, and by Moses! we're going to have it. But we don't want nobloodshed, cap'n. "

"Then get back to duty in a hurry, my man!"

George Fleming spoke up. 

"Give us that map and we'll put your party ashore safe, sir. "

"I'll see you hung up to dry at my yardarm first! If you want the shipcome and take it, you scurvy scoundrel!"

It looked like long odds--fourteen to two. I began to wonder if Bothwellhad forgotten us, and I ordered Alderson to unlock the door for a sortieif one should be necessary. 

Even while I was speaking the rush came. They divided like running waterwhen it reaches a big rock in midstream. Some of them poured toward us, the rest made for the bridge. I heard the crack of Sam's rifle, therattle of small arms, and then the battle was upon us. 

CHAPTER XIV

THE BATTLE

I fired through the window and brought down one fellow while they werestill coming in a huddle toward us. Before I could fire again they werein the saloon and at close quarters with us. 

To me it seemed that a hundred men were struggling in that narrow, smoke-filled space. A grimy, black-faced stoker leaped at me and I fired. I remember beating him over the head with my revolver and that we wentdown together in a clinch. 

As I was falling it came over me that the attack was only a feint tokeep us busy. The main body of the mutineers was storming thewheelhouse. 

When I clambered to my feet I found that our attackers had been routed. Billie Blue's dirk had put a temporary quietus on my stoker, and therest had fled as quickly as they had come. 

"This way!" I shouted, and was out of the door in a jiffy. 

A swarm of men were racing up the steps that led to the bridge and thepilot house. One lay with arms outstretched, face down on the deck. Another was sliding down the rail of the steps, his face writhing withpain. 

Our friends were hard pressed. Blythe was keeping the door against amob, while Yeager was firing through the window. Twice I saw thecaptain's cutlas flash. Then I lost sight of him and I knew thatBothwell had forced the entrance. 

At the same instant the Arizonian disappeared from the opening which hehad been using as a porthole. I knew that Sam was down and that hisfriend had gone to his assistance. My flank attack must have come as asurprise. The mutineers turned, finding themselves between two fires. Wecrowded in on them, and for a time the jam was so thick that none of uscould do much damage. 

Now they fought as desperately to get out of the wheelhouse as they hada minute earlier to get in. They were in a panic of fear, fancyingthemselves trapped. 

I was flung against Bothwell, his furious face so close to mine that thehot breath filled my nostrils. We tried to grip each other, but in thehuddle we were thrust apart. 

Suddenly the room was no longer full, I could see that the enemy was inflight. Before I reached the open I knew that the day was won. Alderson, Billie Blue, and Morgan were pursuing the flying rabble. 

Bothwell, making play with his cutlas against both Blythe and Yeager, was retreating slowly to the bridge rail. I remember crying out as I rantoward them. 

Bothwell vaulted over the rail to the deck below. I followed like afool, for in the row I had lost my weapons. As I recall it now, Samshouted to me to come back. But there was some idiotic notion in my headthat the Russian might run into the reception room with his fellows andget possession of the women. 

Instead, he turned and slashed at me. The blow would have carved my headhad not I dodged. At that I received a nasty swipe in the arm. It wasnot possible to stop. All I could do was to slip past him and continuerunning. 

George Fleming had stopped at the head of the stairway to the main deck. He leveled a pistol and waited for me. Bothwell was at my heels. I wasbetween the devil and the deep sea. 

"We've got him!" the Russian cried. 

I swung in behind one of the boats which lay under a tarpaulin near theedge of the deck. Simultaneously I heard the engineer's gun crack. Norabbit could have clambered around the boat quicker than _I_. Bothwellhad doubled back and was charging me. His whistling cutlas hissed downnot an inch from my ear and ripped through the tarpaulin to bury theblade in the wood of the bow. 

I scudded back toward the bridge, my enemy in full chase. 

Every instant I expected to feel the slash of his blade between myshoulders. It seemed to me that my leaden feet clung to the planks, thata toddling child could do that stretch to safety quicker than I wasdoing it. 

As I ran the deck began to tilt dizzily. Before my eyes there spread ahaze. All grew black even while my feet still automatically moved. 

"Badly hurt, old man?"

The voice came to me from a great distance. With returning consciousnessI found that the strong arm of its owner was supporting my head andshoulders. My eyes looked into those of our captain. 

"It's all right, Jack, " he explained. "We got to you just as you felland Tom drove that villain back. How badly cut are you?"

"A glancing cut, I think. But I'm a bit dizzy? We beat them, didn'twe?"

"Yes. The rats have scuttled back to their holes. "

He helped me into the reception room and I sank down on the lounge. 

"Just a bit light-headed, " I explained to Yeager, who came in at thatmoment. 

"Glad it's no worse. We gave them a drubbing, anyhow. "

"Get Bothwell?" asked Sam. 

"Nope. My gun was empty. I had him at the foot of the ladder, not tenfeet from the muzzle, and _click_--nothing doing. The beggar turned andlaughed in my face. "

"Keep a lookout, Alderson, " the captain ordered, while he unbuttoned mycoat. "Tom, you'd better take a look around and size up the damage. "

"Mott is dead. I found his body in the cabin, " I told our chief. 

"I was afraid of it. With Mott gone and Dugan wounded we were short twomen at the beginning of the scrimmage. Eight to fourteen--devilish longodds. Easy with that sleeve there. Here you, Billie Blue, get me asponge and a basin of water. And tell Miss Wallace to bring her stickingplaster. "

Morgan, very white, was sitting on the opposite lounge trying to stopwith a handkerchief the blood from a scalp wound. From where I lay Icould see the body of Williams just outside the saloon. A stray bulletfrom one of the retreating mutineers had killed him at the very close ofthe battle. 

Altogether that left us five sound men, counting Blue as a man, andthree wounded ones. The pirates had suffered more. One I had disposed ofat the first rush, just before they reached the cabin, and the flunkyhad wounded one of the firemen. 

Yeager had picked off Johnson in the run for the bridge, and Sam hadwounded Caine. In addition to these at least two more had been bloodedin the scrimmage at close quarters outside the wheelhouse. 

"Eight of them left against five of us, not counting the wounded oneither side, " Yeager summed up. 

"What has become of Philips?" I asked, remembering that I had not seenhim since the row began. 

"Thought I saw him run down stairs when the beggars poured in on ushere, sir, " Alderson answered. 

Later the poor fellow was found in his berth, trembling like an aspenleaf. He had locked his door and buried his face in the pillows. 

A shock of red hair above a very white face appeared at the head of thecompanionway. "Is--is it all over?" gasped a small voice. 

"Yes, Jimmie, right now it is. And you'll notice that we're stillsticking to the saddle, son, and not pulling leather either, " observedthe plainsman cheerfully. 

"I--I didn't know it would be like this, " murmured the boy. "Ithought----" His voice tailed out and he dropped limply into a seat, hisfascinated eyes fixed on my bleeding arm. 

Yeager clasped a hand on the boy's shoulder. 

"Brace up, kid. The first round is ours, strong. We've had to hustle, but I reckon we've given them a hectic time of it. They'll not bother usfor quite some hours. Captain Bothwell is busy explaining to a real soreoutfit just why his plans miscarried. "

"Is Mr. Sedgwick--killed?" asked the boy, swallowing hard. 

I laughed faintly. 

"He's worth a dozen dead men yet, Jimmie. "

And to prove it I fell back among the pillows, unconscious. 

CHAPTER XV

THE MORNING AFTER

My opening eyes fell upon Evelyn. She was putting the last touches tothe bandage on my arm, which was already dressed and bound. Evidently Ihad been unconscious some time. 

"It's all right. We won, " were my first words to her. 

"I know, " she answered with a faint glow of color. "Thanks to the bravemen who risked their lives for us!"

"Poor Williams was killed, and Morgan was hurt. Has his wound beenlooked to?"

"On the job now, " sang out Yeager. "When I get through with him he'll beas good as new. Eh, Morgan?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, " returned that impassive individual. 

"Where's Sam?" I asked. 

"Back at the wheel. "

"Alone?"

"Alderson is with him. Don't worry about them. You couldn't dynamitethat bunch of pirates on deck just now. There'll be nothing doing untilthey get Dutch courage from the bottle. We jolted them a heap harderthan they did us, " Tom rejoined lightly. 

It was all very well for him to keep up his cheerful talk to raise thespirits of our friends, but I did not forget the fact that since thebeginning of hostilities we had lost as many men as they had in killed, and only one less in wounded. To be sure, with the exception of Dugan, their disabled were in worse condition than ours. Morgan had only ascratch, and a day or two of rest would set me right. 

"Time is fighting for us too, you bet, " continued Tom briskly. "We're aunit, and I'll bet they're pulling already every which way. We've gotthem traveling south, Miss Wallace. "

Perhaps his cheerful, matter-of-fact talk was the best possible tonicfor the depression which had settled upon us. I could not help thinkwhat a blessing it was that we had picked up at Los Angeles thiscompetent frontiersman whose strong, brown hands could make or dress awound with equal skill. 

It was plain to me that during the next few hours I would not be of muchuse. Out of ten thousand, Tom Yeager was the one I would have picked totake charge of the defense in my absence. 

When a few minutes later the beat of the screw began again the sound ofit was like wine to me. It meant that, for the present, the mutineershad had enough. They would join in a tacit truce while the yacht wasbeing worked south. 

"Help Mr. Sedgwick down to his cabin, Morgan, and then both of you turnin for a few hours' sleep. We'll look out for trouble. Won't we, Jimmie?You and I and Billie Blue, eh?"

"Yes, Mr. Yeager. "

"You'll call us if another attack threatens?" I asked. 

"Sure. "

The steady _throb--throb--throb_ of the propeller was again shaking theyacht as she took up her journey. This might be a ruse to throw us offour guard, but I did not think so. The enemy was badly demoralized, andthe chances were that Bothwell would welcome a chance to whip his forcesinto shape again. 

"Is the door from the galley to the main deck locked and nailed up, Billie?" I asked of the flunky. 

"Yes, sir. "

"Nail planks across the window too. Philips will help you get dinner ifyou can find him. I'll expect you to see that our party is well fed. "

"Yes, sir, " the young fellow promised. 

"You must go to your room at a moment's notice, Miss Wallace. HavePhilips nail up your porthole. You need not be a bit afraid. We hold avery safe position at present. Get all the sleep you can to-night. "

"That's good advice, Mr. Sedgwick. Take it yourself, " she returned witha little flicker of a wan smile. 

For an instant her hand, warm and firm, rested in mine. If I had notbeen sure of my love before, there was no uncertainty now. While herbrave eyes met mine I seemed to drown fathoms deep in the blue of them. Trouble was what I read in them, but part of that trouble was for me. Igloried in that certainty. 

She might not love me--it was presumptuous to suppose she did--but atleast I held a place in her regard. That was the thought I carried withme down-stairs, and it stayed pleasantly with me till I fell asleep inspite of the pain in my arm. 

About nine o'clock I was awakened by a knock on the door. Philips hadbrought me dinner on a tray. 

His eye would not meet mine. He was ashamed because he had shown thewhite feather in the scrimmage. 

"I--I've got a wife and three little children, sir, " he blurted outbefore he left. 

I nodded pleasantly at him. 

"You're going to see them again. But you must help us beat thoseruffians. You see we can do it. We've done it once. "

"Yes, sir. I--hope to do better next time. "

"I'm sure you will, Philips. "

We shook hands on it. 

I must have fallen asleep again almost immediately. When I opened myeyes it was day. I pushed the electric bell. Philips presently appeared. 

"All well?" I asked him. 

"Yes, sir. No more trouble. The yacht is still on her course. Doingabout nine knots I should judge. "

"Heard from Dugan this morning?"

"He isn't doing just what you could call first rate, sir. I think he isdelirious. Miss Wallace and Miss Berry are taking care of him by turns. "

"And Morgan?"

"Quite all right, sir. Your arm must be stiff. Shall I shave you thismorning? I used to be a barber, sir. "

"Thanks. If you have time. "

Breakfast was served in the English fashion, for it was necessary tokeep some one on guard all the time. The Arizonian was making play witha platter of bacon and fried eggs when I joined him. 

"How d'ye do? Ready for the round-up again?" he asked cheerfully, withhis mouth full. 

"My arm's stiff, and when I move there's a pain jumps in it. OtherwiseI'm fit as a fiddle. Anything new in the way of trouble?"

"Not a thing. We've arranged a code of signals with our friends at thewheel. You'll find the code pasted up in the saloon. Say, what do youthink? That girl slipped out with breakfast for Cap. Blythe and Aldersonwhile I wasn't looking. "

"Crossed the deck with it?"

"That's whatever, and sauntered back as cool as you please. Two or threeof them were on the forecastle deck, but they didn't lift a hand to hurther. "

I drew a long breath. 

"We mustn't let her do it again. "

"Not while I'm in the game. She's an ace-high trump just the same. Wonder if she would have any use for a maverick rancher from the alkalicountry? I got a pretty good outfit in the Flying D. "

"Better ask her. "

"I'm going to, " he answered coolly. "Drift that butter down this way, will you?"

"Where is she now?" I asked. 

"Not up yet. She took a two-hour turn watching while we slept. Then shesat by Dugan for a while. You'd ought to have seen her at the pianosinging 'My Maryland' and 'Dixie' to us just as if she had starred in amutiny every week of her life. She was doing it for what they call themoral effect, and it sure did keep up the nerve of the boys. I could seeJimmie and Billie get real gay again. Used to live in Tennessee, youknow. "

"Jimmie or Billie?" I asked innocently. 

"You know who I mean all right, you old son of a gun. Try this bacon. It's the genuine guaranteed article. That Billie boy is some cook. Seemsher mother was a Southerner before Wallace married her. "

"What was she afterward?"

"My, you're a humorist! Say, do you reckon that little bald spot on thecrown of my haid would be objectionable to her? I've never monkeyed withthese here hair tonics, but I'd be willing to take a whirl at them. "

"Here she comes now. You can ask her. "

"Did you sleep well?" the young woman asked, after we had exchangedmorning greetings. 

"Clear round the clock and then some more. You must have had a finenight's rest yourself from what I hear. On watch till one, and nursingDugan _from_ one. Wasn't that about it?"

"Not quite. I had three hours' sleep. Is your arm paining you much?"

"Don't waste any sympathy on him, Miss Evelyn, " the cowman interrupted. "His arm's just as good as a new wooden one, and his repartee is assharp as the cutlas that broke the skin on it. "

She smiled as she began on her grapefruit. "Are you boys quarreling?"

"He hasn't had time to quarrel. He has been making a dreary waste ofwhat was once a platter of eggs and bacon. "

"Now I like that, " Tom protested. 

"So I judge. Never mind, Miss Wallace. Billie can cook you some more. "

"Who is on guard?" Evelyn asked. 

"The kid. He's a scout for fair too; imagines he's Apache Jim, theterror of the Navajos, or some other paper-backed hero. I hope his gunwon't go off and shoot him up. "

We made a lively breakfast of it till Yeager had to leave. You maythink it strange that we could laugh and jest on that death ship, butone gets accustomed to the strain and on the reflex from anxiety arrivesat a temporary gaiety. 

After the cattleman had taken his breezy departure a constraint fellupon us. Evelyn's eyes were shy, and mine not a great deal bolder. Yesterday we could have chatted away with the most delightful freedom;to-day we were confined to the veriest commonplaces. 

And all because our eyes had met for one long instant the evening beforeand hinted at something in the unspoken language of young people theworld over. 

The arrival of Jimmie Welch with a very robust appetite helped things agood deal, and we were presently ourselves again. After breakfast MissWallace went to relieve her aunt at the bedside of the wounded carpenterwhile I mounted to the bridge to take Blythe's place, Tom doing the samefor Alderson. 

It struck me as a piece of grim satire that I should be ringing ordersdown to the men in the engine room with whom a few hours before we hadbeen battling for life, and probably soon would be again. 

It was beyond doubt that we would have to measure strength with them asecond time. Bothwell would never let us run into port at Panama if hecould help it. The men were probably not anxious for another brush afterthe drubbing they had received, but the situation forced their hands. They must either take the ship or let us give them up to the authoritiesas mutineers. 

My opinion is that if Bothwell had not been recognized by Jimmie hewould have waited until we were actually on the treasure ground, andperhaps even until we had lifted it. 

From the sounds that came forward to us from the forecastle it was plainthat the enemy were drinking pretty steadily. More than once I saw anempty bottle flung through a porthole into the sea. Occasionally someone appeared on the deck aft, and from the drunken shouts bawled up anddown the hatchway the condition of the crew could be guessed. 

Blythe and I agreed that this probably meant an attack after darknesshad fallen. Fortified by the courage which comes from whisky, they wouldtry and slip up on us in the night and win by a surprise. 

CHAPTER XVI

THE NIGHT ATTACK

The captain and I were in the wheelhouse when the attack came. It musthave been an hour past midnight of a gentle starry night, without thefaintest breath of wind in the air. Ever since dark the vibration of thepropeller had ceased. 

No doubt the charge was intended for a surprise, but we had half aminute of warning. Dimly I could make out figures moving tiptoe at thehead of the stairway. Three times I flashed a lantern in signal to ourfriends. Almost simultaneously came the rush along the deck. 

This time they took cover as they advanced, scattering like a covey ofyoung quail. One dropped behind a boat here, another there. Somecrouched close to the deckhouse. Bullets sang about our ears frominvisible foes. 

It looked as if their intention was to pick us off without exposingthemselves. The thing could be done too. For a rifle ball would tearthrough the flimsy woodwork of our shelter as if it had been paper. 

"We've got to get out of here, " I told my friend. 

"Confound it, yes. But where shall we go?"

"What's that? Listen, Sam. "

From below and to the left of us there came a sound as of some onemoving. We could hear stealthy voices in animated whisper. 

"I see their game, " Blythe murmured in my ear. "Those fellows on deckare to keep us busy pot-shotting us while the rest climb up from belowand close with us when we're not looking. "

A bullet zipped through a window and left a little round hole. It musthave passed between our heads. 

"Hot work, " said the Englishman coolly, putting down his rifle andtaking up a revolver and a cutlas. "We'd better sally out and have alook at the gentlemen who are climbing up the stanchions. You take thatside and I'll take this. "

We were not a moment too soon. As I peered over the bridge rail anoutstretched hand was reaching for a hold. Instantly it was withdrawn. The moonlight poured like a spotlight on the uplifted face of the sailorNeidlinger. Never have I seen a look more expressive of stupid, baffledsurprise. His mouth was open, his eyes popping. But when I made a motionto aim my revolver he slid down the stanchion with a rush, knockingover the fellow supporting him from below. 

I paid no more attention to him, for the feet of those who had beenshooting at us were already scurrying forward. 

"Blythe, " I called in warning. 

But the captain was engaged with a mutineer who had climbed up in theway Neidlinger had attempted. A second man--and I saw in an instant thatit was Caine--was astride the rail on his way to support the first. Halfway over he had stopped to take a shot at Sam. 

I fired from my hip without waiting to take aim. It was the luckiestshot of my life. The boatswain's shoulders sagged, his fingers relaxedso that the weapon clattered on the floor, and slowly his figure swayedoutward. There was no grip to his knees. He toppled overboard, headfirst. I heard the plop as his body dived into the sea. 

Blythe cut down his man at the same instant. 

"Back to the wheelhouse, " I shouted. 

We were barely in time. They came crowding in on us pell-mell. We hadalready switched off the light. Now the lantern was dashed to pieces bytrampling heels. 

I was flung back against the wheel and the revolver knocked from myhand. Sinewy fingers gripped my throat and forced me down until Ithought my back would break. Close to my ear a gun exploded. Thepressure on my jugular relaxed instantly. The body of my opponent sankslowly to the floor and lay there limp. 

I took a long breath, leaped across the prostrate figure, and flungmyself upon another. We struggled. I became aware that we had the roomto ourselves. The others were fighting outside. 

The vessel had fallen into the trough of the waves. In one of itslurches the moon flooded the place with light. 

"Sam!" I cried, and he "Jack!"

In the darkness we had mistaken each other for the enemy. 

Catching up a cutlas I followed him into the open. Our friends had comeand gone again. To say that they were going would be more accurate. Forthey were now in full flight, the pack of wolves in chase. 

A few moments earlier and we might have saved the day. Now we could onlypursue the pursuers. 

Blythe leaped down the steps, revolver in hand. I followed, but my footcaught on a body lying at the foot of the ladder. A hand caught my coat. 

"Gimme a lift, partner, " asked a voice. 

"You, Tom?" I cried, helping him up. "Hurt, are you?"

"Knocked in the head. A bit groggy. That's all. "

The delay made me a witness rather than an actor in the dénouement. Ourfriends had disappeared within the saloon and slammed the door. Theforemost mutineer reached it, tried the handle, and threw his weightagainst the panels. The others came to his assistance. A revolver shotthrough the door dropped one of them. The others fell back at once. 

They met Blythe. A stoker swung a cutlas and rushed for him. Full in theforehead a bullet from the captain's revolver crashed into his brain. Like a football tackler the body plunged forward to Sam's feet. 

For a moment nobody moved or spoke. Then, "My God!" groaned Henry Fleming. 

I cannot account for it. These men had been brave enough in the thick ofthe fight while facing numbers not so very inferior to their own. Butnow, standing there three to one, it seemed as if some wave of horrorsickened them at sight of the lifeless body plunging along the deck. 

They stood there with eyes distended, while Blythe, grimly erect, facedthem as motionless as a statue. 

"Gawd, I've 'ad enough, " the cook gasped, and got his fat bulk to thestairway with incredible swiftness. 

The others were at his heel, fighting for the first chance down. 

A bullet clipped the deck in front of me. I looked up hastily to seeBothwell's malevolent face in the wheelhouse window. 

"Turn about, Mr. Sedgwick, " he jeered, and let fly again. 

Half dragging him with me, I got Yeager into the shadow. 

"Got a revolver?" I whispered. 

"Yes. " He felt for it in the darkness. "Damn! I must 'a dropped it whenBothwell hit me over the coconut. "

"Are you good for a run to the saloon? He'll pick us off just as soon asthe moon comes out from behind that cloud. "

A bullet took a splinter from the rail beside me. 

"We'd better toddle, " agreed the cattleman. "Go ahead. "

I scudded for safety, Yeager at my heels. We reached the door of thesaloon just as the captain did. 

"Let us in. Captain Blythe and friends, " I cried, hammering on a panel. 

Some one unlocked the door. It was Dugan. 

"You here?" I exclaimed. 

"Yes, sir. I heard the shooting and came up just in time to lock thedoor on Mack. Think I wounded him through the door afterward, sir. "

"Any of our men short?" Blythe asked quickly, glancing around with thekeen, quiet eye of a soldier. 

Alderson spoke up. 

"Fleming cut Blue down as we tried to force the steps, sir. "

"Killed him, you think?"

"No doubt of it, sir. "

"Any more lost?"

We did not notice it till a few minutes later, but little Jimmie Welchwas missing. None of us was seriously wounded in the scrimmage, thoughnearly all had marks to show. Even Philips had a testimonial of valor inthe form of a badly swollen eye. 

"They've suffered more than we have. Check up, my men. Mack, dead orbadly wounded, shot by Dugan. Can you name any, Alderson?"

"Only Sutton, sir, that you killed out here. There was a man lying onthe bridge when we got there. Don't know who, sir. "

"Tot Dennis, " answered Blythe, who had cut him down at the same timewhen I disposed of the boatswain. 

I mentioned Caine. 

"Didn't you finish another in the wheelhouse, Jack?"

"I didn't. You did. "

The captain shook his head. 

"You're wrong about that. Must have been you. "

This puzzled me at the time, but we learned later that the man--heturned out to be the stoker Billie Blue had dirked in the firstfight--had been killed by an unexpected ally who joined us later. 

"Counting Mack, they've lost five to our one, " Sam summed up. 

"Hope they've got a bellyful by this time, " I said bitterly. 

"They've won the wheel--for the present. But that's unimportant. Bothwell can't hold it. We'll starve him out. Practically it's ourfight. "

What our captain said was quite true. Even if Bothwell could have solvedthe food problem and the question of sleep, he dared not leave hisallies too long alone for fear they might make terms and surrender. 

For we had beaten them again. They had left now only seven men (notcounting Mack), at least two of whom were wounded. This was exactly thesame number that we had. Whereas the odds had been against us, now theywere very much in our favor when one considered morale and quality. 

At Blythe's words we raised a cheer. I have heard heartier ones, for wewere pretty badly battered up. But that cheer--so we heard later--putthe final touch to the depression of the mutineers. 

"Mr. Sedgwick, will you kindly step down-stairs and notify the ladiesthat the day is ours? Get me some water, Morgan, and I'll take a look atMr. Yeager's head. Philips, find Jimmie. Alderson, will you keep guardfor the present? You'd better get back to bed, Dugan. I want to say thateach one of you deserves a medal. If the treasure is ever found Ipromise, on behalf of Miss Wallace, that every honest man shall share init. "

At this there was a second cheer and we scattered to obey orders. 

When I knocked on the door of Miss Wallace's stateroom a shaky voiceanswered. 

"Who is there?"

"It is I--Sedgwick. "

The door opened. Evelyn, very pale, was standing before me with a littlerevolver in her hand. She wore a kind of kimono of some gray stuff, loose about the beautifully modeled throat, in which just now a pulsewas beating fast. Sandals were on her feet, and from beneath the gownher toes peeped. 

"What is it? Tell me, " she breathed in a whisper, her finger on herlips. 

I judged that her aunt had slept through the noise of the firing. 

"They attacked us on the bridge again. We had the best of it. "

"Is anybody--hurt?" she asked tremulously. 

"Five of them have been killed or badly wounded. We lost Billie Blue, poor fellow. "

"Dead?" her white lips framed. 

"I'm afraid so. "

"Nobody else?"

I hesitated. 

"Little Jimmie is missing. We are afraid----"

Tears filled her eyes and brimmed over. 

"Poor Jimmie!"

I'll not swear that the back of my eyes did not scorch with hot tearstoo. I thought of the likable little Arab, red-headed, freckled andhomely, and I blamed myself bitterly that I had ever let him rejoin usat Los Angeles. 

"He wouldn't have come if it hadn't been for me. I asked you to lethim, " the young woman reproached herself. 

"It isn't your fault. You meant it for the best. "

Of a sudden she turned half from me and leaned against the door-jamb, covering her face with her hands. She was sobbing very softly. 

I put my arm across her shoulders and petted her awkwardly. Presentlyshe crowded back the sobs and whispered brokenly, not to me, but as arelief to her surcharged feelings. 

"This dreadful ship of death! This dreadful ship! Why did I ever leadtrue men to their deaths for that wicked treasure?"

I do not know how it happened, but in her wretchedness the girl swayedtoward me ever so slightly. My arms went round her protectingly. For aninstant her body came to me in sweet surrender, the soft curves of hersupple figure relaxed in weariness. Then she pushed me from her gently. 

"Not now--not now. "

I faced a closed door, but as I went up the companionway with elasticheels my heart sang jubilantly. 

CHAPTER XVII

A TASTE OF THE INQUISITION

It could have been no more than five minutes after I left her thatEvelyn followed me to the upper deck saloon. Yet in the interval hernimble fingers had found time to garb her in a simple blue princessdress she had found near to her hand. 

Without looking at me she went straight to Blythe, who was sponging thewrist of Alderson. 

"You'll let me help, won't you?" she asked, with such sweet simplicitythat I fell fathoms deeper in love. 

"Of course. You're our chief surgeon. Eh, Alderson?"

The sailor grinned. Though he was a little embarrassed he was gratefulfor the addition to the staff. 

After they had finished I brought her water to wash her hands. For thefirst time since she had entered the room our gaze met. 

Braver eyes no woman ever had, but the thick lashes fluttered down nowand a wave of pink beat into her cheeks. Moved as she was by a touch ofshy confusion, the oval of her face stirred delicately as if with thespirit of fire, she seemed a very blush rose, a creature of so fine abeauty as to stir a momentary fear. 

But I knew her to be strong, even if slight, and abrim with health. Whenshe walked away with that supple, feathered tread of hers, so firm andyet so light, the vitality of her physique reasserted itself. 

"Some one slipping this way in the shadows, Captain Blythe, " spoke upMorgan, who was on guard. 

Sam had been reloading his revolver. At once he stepped to the door. 

"Who goes there? Hands up! I have you covered. Move forward into thelight. Oh, it's you, Smith! What do you want?"

"I've come to give myself up, sir. I'm sick of it. Very likely you won'tbelieve me, sir, but I joined under compulsion to save my life. I didn'tdare leave them so long as Captain Bothwell----"

"_Mr. _ Bothwell, " corrected Blythe sharply. 

"Mr. Bothwell, sir, I meant. He watched me as if I were a prisoner. "

"I think I noticed you on my bridge with a revolver in your hand, " theEnglishman told him dryly. 

"Yes, sir. But I fired in the air, except once when I shot the firemanwho was killing Mr. Sedgwick over the wheel. "

I turned in astonishment to Blythe. 

"That explains it. Some one certainly saved me. If you didn't it musthave been Smith. "

"That's one point to your credit, " Blythe admitted. "So now you want tobe an honest man?"

"I always have been at heart, sir. I had no chance to come before. Theykept me unarmed except during the fighting. "

His head bandaged with a blood-soaked bandanna, his face unshaven andbloodstained, Smith was a sorry enough sight. But his eye met thecaptain's fairly. I don't think it occurred to any of us seriously todoubt him. 

Sam laughed grimly. 

"You look the worse for the wars, my friend. "

Smith put his hand to the bound head and looked at the captainreproachfully. 

"Your cutlas did it at the pilot-house, sir. "

"You should be more careful of the company you keep, my man. "

"Yes, sir. I did try to slip away once, but they brought me back. "

"Let me look at your head. Perhaps I can do something for it, " Evelynsuggested to the sailor. 

While she prepared the dressings I put the question to Smith. 

"Jimmie. Oh, yes, sir. He's down in the f'c'sle. Gallagher ran acrosshim and took him down there. "

This was good news, the best I had heard since the mutiny began. Itseemed that the boy had slipped out to get a shot at the enemy, and thathis escape had been cut off by the men returning from the attack. 

Judging from what Smith said the men were very down-hearted and invicious spirits. They were ready to bite at the first hand in reach, after the manner of trapped coyotes. 

"How many of them are there?" I asked. 

"Let's see. There's the two Flemings, sir, and Gallagher, and the cook, and Neidlinger, and Mack, but he won't last long. "

"Do you think they're likely to hurt the boy?"

"Not unless they get to drinking, sir. They want him for a hostage. Butthere has been a lot of drinking. You can't tell what they will do whenthey're in liquor. "

I came to an impulsive decision. We couldn't leave Jimmie to his fate. The men were ready to give up the fight if the thing could be put tothem right. The time to strike was now, in the absence of Bothwell, while they were out of heart at their failure. 

Why shouldn't I go down into the forecastle and see what could be done?That there was some danger in it could not be denied, but not nearly somuch as if the Russian had been down there. 

I was an officer of the ship, and though that would have helped melittle if they had been sure of victory it would have a good deal ofweight now. 

Blythe would, I knew, forbid me to go. Therefore I did not ask him. ButI took Yeager aside and told him what I intended. 

"I'll likely be back in half an hour, perhaps less. I don't want you totell Sam unless he has to know. Don't let him risk defeat by attemptinga rescue in case I don't show up. Tell him I'm playing off my own bat. That's a bit of English slang he'll understand. "

"Say! Let me go too, " urged the cattleman, his eyes glistening. 

"No. We can't go in force. I'm not even going to take a weapon. Thatwould queer the whole thing. It's purely a moral and not a physicalargument I'm making. "

He did not want to see it that way, but in the end he grumblinglyassented, especially when I put it to him that he must stay and keep aneye on Bothwell. 

While Blythe was down in his cabin getting a shave I watched my chanceand slipped down to the main deck. Cautiously I ventured into theforecastle, tiptoeing down the ladder without noise. 

"Dead as a door nail. That makes seven gone to Davy Jones's locker, " Iheard a despondent voice say. 

"'E could sing a good song, Mack could, and 'e carried 'is liquor like aman, but that didn't 'elp 'im from being shot down like a dog. It'll bethat wye with us next. "

"Stow that drivel, cookie, " growled a voice which I recognized asbelonging to the older Fleming. "You're nice, cheerful company fordevils down on their luck. Ain't things bad enough without you croakinglike a sky pilot?"

"That's wot I say, says I; we'll all croak before this blyme row isover, " Higgins prophesied. 

I sauntered forward with my hands in my pockets. 

"Looks that way, doesn't it? Truth is, you've made a mess of it fromfirst to last. Whichever way you look at it the future is devilishlyunpleasant. Even if you live to be hanged--which isn't at alllikely--one can't call it a cheerful end. "

Conceive, if you can, a more surprised lot of ruffians than these. Theyleaped to their feet and stared at me in astonishment. I'll swear fourrevolvers jumped to sight while one could bat an eyelid. 

I leaned on the edge of the table and gave them the most care-free grinI could summon. All the time I was wondering whether some fool wouldperhaps blaze away at me and do his thinking afterward. 

"How did you get down here?" the senior engineer demanded. 

"Walked down. I'm really surprised at you, Fleming. What would Bothwellthink of you? Why, I might have shot half of you before Higgins couldsay Jack Robinson. "

It showed how ripe they were for my purpose that at the mention ofBothwell's name two or three growled curses at him. 

"He got us into this, he did; promised us a fortune if we'd join him, "Gallagher said sulkily. 

"And no blood shed, Mr. Sedgwick. That's wot 'e promised, " whined thecook. 

"Probably he meant none of ours, " I explained ironically. 

"He was going to wait till you'd got the treasure and then put you in aboat near the coast, " Gallagher added. 

Neidlinger spat sulkily at a knot in the floor. His eyes would not meetmine. It was a fair guess that he was no hardened mutineer, but had beencaught in a net through lack of moral backbone. 

"Afraid Bothwell isn't a very safe man to follow. He's let you be mauledup pretty badly. I've a notion he'll slip away and leave you to behanged without the comfort of his presence. "

"You don't need to rub that in, Mr. Sedgwick, " advised George Fleming. "And perhaps, since you're here, you will explain your business. "

It must be said for George Fleming that at least he was a hardy villainand no weakling. The men were like weather-vanes. They veered with eachwind that blew. 

"That's right, " chimed in Gallagher. "We didn't ask your company. If wego to hell I shouldn't wonder but you'll travel the road first, sir. Take a hitch and a half turn on this. We're in the same boat, you andus. Now you take an oar and pull us out of the rough water, Mr. Sedgwick. "

I laughed. 

"Not I, Gallagher. You made your own bed, and I'm hanged if I'll lie init, though I believe it is bad taste to refer to hanging in thiscompany. _I_ didn't start a little mutiny. _I_ didn't murder as good amate as any seaman could ask for. It isn't _my_ fault that a round halfdozen of you are dead and gone to feed the fishes. "

Higgins groaned lugubriously. Neidlinger shifted his feet uneasily. Notone of them but was impressed. 

Harry Fleming glanced at his brother, cleared his throat, and spoke up. 

"Mr. Sedgwick, spit it out. What have you to offer? Will Captain Blythelet this be a bygone if we return to duty? That's what we want to know. If not, we've got to fight it out. A blind man could see that. "

I told them the truth, that I had no authority to speak for Blythe. Hewould probably think it his duty to give them up to the authorities ifthey were still on board when we reached Panama. 

It was pitiful to see how they clutched at every straw of hope. 

"Well, sir, what do you mean by that if? Will he stand back and let usescape?"

"All of you but Bothwell. Mind, I don't promise this. Why not send adeputation to the captain and ask for terms?"

Higgins slapped his fat thigh. 

"By crikey, 'e's said it. A delegation to the captain. That's thebloomin' ticket. "

Pat to his suggestion came an unexpected and startling answer. 

"Fortunately it won't be necessary to send the delegation, since yourcaptain has come down to join you. "

The voice was Bothwell's; so, too, were the ironic insolence, thesardonic smile, the air of contemptuous mastery that sat so lightly onhim. He might be the greatest scoundrel unhanged--and that was a pointupon which I had a decided opinion--but I shall never deny that therewas in him the magnetic force which made him a leader of men. 

Immediately I recognized defeat for my attempt to end the mutiny at astroke. His very presence was an inspiration to persistence in evil. Forthough he had brought them nothing but disaster, the fellow had a way ofimpressing himself without appearing to care whether he did or not. 

The careless contempt of his glance emphasized the difference betweenhim and them. He was their master, though a fortnight before none ofthem had ever seen Bothwell. They feared and accepted his leadership, even while they distrusted him. 

The men seemed visibly to stiffen. Instead of beseeching looks I gotthreatening ones. Three minutes before I had been dictator; now I was aprisoner, and if I could read signs one in a very serious situation. 

"I'm waiting for the deputation, " suggested Bothwell, his dark eyepassing from one to another and resting on Higgins. 

The unfortunate cook began to perspire. 

"Just our wye of 'aving a little joke, captain, " he protested in awhine. 

"You didn't hear aright, Bothwell. A deputation to the captain wasmentioned, " I told him. 

"And I'm captain of this end of the ship, or was at last accounts. Perhaps Mr. Sedgwick has been elected in my absence, " he sneered. 

"You bet he ain't, " growled Gallagher. 

"It's a position I should feel obliged to decline. No sinking ship forme, thank you. I've no notion of trying to be a twentieth centuryCaptain Kidd. And, by the way, he was hanged, too, wasn't he, captain?"

"That's a prophecy, I take it. I'll guarantee one thing: You'll not liveto see it fulfilled. You've come to the end of the passage, my friend. "

"Indeed!"

"But before you pass out I've a word to say to you about that map. "

His eye gave a signal. Before I could stir for resistance even if I hadbeen so minded, George Fleming and Gallagher pinned my back to thetable. Bothwell stepped forward and looked down at me. 

A second time I glimpsed the Slav behind his veneer of civilization. Opaque and cruel eyes peered into mine through lids contracted to slits. Something in me stronger than fear looked back at him steadily. 

His voice was so low that none, I think, except me caught the words. Inhis manner was an extraordinary bitterness. 

"You're the rock I've split on from the first. You stole the map fromme--and you tried to steal her. By God, I wipe the slate clean now!"

"I've only one thing to say to you. I'd like to see you strung up, youdamned villain!" I replied. 

"The last time I asked you for that map your friend from Arizonablundered in. He's not here now. I'm going to find out all you know. Youthink you can defy me. Before I've done with you I'll make you wishyou'd never been born. There are easy deaths and hard ones. You shalltake your choice. "

With that fiend's eyes glittering into mine it was no easy thing to keepfrom weakening. I confess it, the blood along my spine was beginning tofreeze. Fortunately I have a face well under control. 

"You have a taste for dramatics, Captain Kidd. " I raised my voice sothat all might hear plainly. "You threaten to torture me. You forgetthat this is the year 1913. The inquisition is a memory. You are not inRussia now. American sailors--even mutineers--will draw the line attorture. "

His face was hard as hammered iron. 

"Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Sedgwick. I'm master here. When I give theword you will suffer. "

I turned my head and my eyes fell upon Henry Fleming. He had turnedwhite, shaken to the heart. Beyond him was Neidlinger, and the man wasmoistening his gray lips with his tongue. The fat cockney lookedtroubled. Plainly they had no stomach for the horrible work that laybefore them if I proved resolute. 

To fight for treasure was one thing, and I suppose that even in thisthey had been led to believe that a mere show of force would besufficient; to lend their aid to torture an officer of the ship wasquite another and a more sinister affair. 

The Slav in Bothwell had failed to understand the Anglo-Saxon blood withwhich he was dealing. 

I faced the man with a dry laugh. 

"We'll see. Begin, you coward!"

Pinned down to the table as I was, he struck me in the face for that. 

"You lose no time in proving my words true, " I jeered. 

An odd mixture is man. Faith, one might have thought Bothwell imperviousto shame, but at my words the fellow flushed. He could not quite forgetthat he had once been a gentleman. 

In the way of business he could torture me, wipe me from his pathwithout a second thought, but on the surface he must live up to theartificial code his training had imposed upon him. 

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Sedgwick. Were there time I would give yousatisfaction for that blow in the customary manner. But time presses. Ishall have to ask you instead to accept my apologies. I have the devilof a temper. "

"So I judge. "

"It flares like powder. But I must not waste your time in explanations. "From his vest pocket he drew three little cubes of iron. "You still havetime, Mr. Sedgwick. The map!"

I flushed to the roots of my hair. 

"Never, you Russian devil!"

He selected the hand pinned down by Fleming, perhaps because he was notsure that he could trust Gallagher. Between my fingers close to theroots he slipped the cubes. His fingers fastened over mine and drew theends of them together slowly, steadily. 

An excruciating pain shot through me. I set my teeth to keep fromscreaming and closed my eyes to hide the anguish in them. 

"You are at liberty to change your mind--and your answer, Mr. Sedgwick, "he announced suavely. 

"You devil from hell!"

Again I suffered that jagged bolt of pain. It seemed as if my fingerswere being rent asunder at the roots. I could not concentrate myattention on anything but the physical agony, yet it seems to me nowthat Gallagher was muttering a protest across the table. 

Bothwell released my hand. I saw a flash of subtle triumph light hiseyes. 

"A wilful man must have his way, Mr. Sedgwick, " he nodded to me, thenwhispered in the ear of George Fleming, who at once left the room. 

They pulled me up from the table and seated me in a chair. Bothwellwhistled a bar or two of the sextet from Lucia until he was interruptedby the entrance of the engineer with Jimmie Welch. 

In a flash I knew what the man meant to do, and the devilish ingenuityof it appalled me. He had concluded that I was strung up to endureanything he might inflict. 

Now he was going to force me to tell what I knew in order to save theboy from the pain I had myself found almost unendurable. 

What must I do? I beat my wits for a way out. One glance around the roomshowed me that the scoundrel's accomplices would not let him go muchfurther. 

The weak spot in his leadership was that he did not realize the humanitywhich still burned in their lost souls. But at what point would theyrevolt? I could not let little Jimmie go through the pain I hadundergone. 

The boy gave a sobbing cry of relief when he saw me and tried to breakaway to my side. He was flung on the table just as I had been. Gallagherlooked at me imploringly while Bothwell fitted the cubes. 

Neidlinger stole a step nearer. His fingers were working nervously. Harry Fleming had turned away so as not to see what would follow. 

"Mr. Sedgwick, what are they going to do with me?" the frightened littlefellow called in terror. 

Bothwell took the lad's fingers in his. I opened my lips tosurrender--and closed them again. Neidlinger had drawn still anotherstep nearer. The big blond Scandinavian had reached his limit. 

The Slav gave a slight pressure and Jimmie howled. Crouched like apanther, Neidlinger flung himself upon his chief and bore him back tothe wall. Bothwell, past his first surprise, lashed out with a straightleft and dropped the man. 

Simultaneously Gallagher closed with him, tripping Bothwell so that thetwo went down hard together. Neidlinger crawled forward on hands andknees to help his partner. 

Shaking off the grip of the irresolute men holding me, I was in time toseize George Fleming, who had run forward to aid the captain. 

From the hatchway a crisp order rang out. 

"Back there, Fleming!"

I turned. Blythe and Yeager were standing near the foot of the ladder;behind them Alderson, Smith, Morgan, and Philips. All six were armed. Their weapons covered the mutineers. 

"Gallagher--Neidlinger, don't release that man. You are prisoners--allof you, " Sam announced curtly. 

Taken by surprise, the two sailors had ceased to struggle with Bothwell. I could see the master villain's hand slip to the butt of his revolver. 

My foot came down heavily on his wrist and the fingers fell limp. Amoment, and the revolver was in my hand. 

Bothwell was handcuffed and disarmed before the eyes of his followers, who in turn had to endure the same ignominy. 

The mutiny on the _Argos_ was quelled at last. 

CHAPTER XVIII

ANCHORED HEARTS

Our rescue had been due to the vigilance of Tom Yeager. He had seenBothwell slip down from the bridge and follow me to the forecastle. 

The first impulse of the Arizonian had been to step out and end thecampaign by a fighting finish with the Slav. But second thoughts broughtwiser counsels. Blythe, called hurriedly upstairs, had agreed to hisproposal to try and determine the mutiny at a stroke. 

To both of them it had been clear that Bothwell surrendered the bridgebecause he was afraid to let me have a talk with the men alone. That mylife was in great danger neither doubted. 

Swiftly the men had been gathered for the sortie into the forecastle, Evelyn having volunteered to take the wheel until relieved. The successof the plan had been beyond the expectations of any. 

Bothwell was the first of the prisoners to speak. 

"Let me offer my congratulations, Captain Blythe, " he said with suaveirony. 

The lean, brown face of the Englishman expressed quiet scorn. 

"Not necessary at all. It is the only result I have considered from thefirst. One doesn't expect to be driven from his ship by wharf rats, nomatter how numerous they may be. "

Bothwell laughed, debonair as ever. 

"True enough, captain. My scoundrels made an awful botch of it. Theyplayed a good hand devilish badly or we should have won out. "

"The devil you would! We beat you from first to last at odds against oftwo to one nearly. I reckon, Mr. Pirate, you undertook too big around-up, " grinned the cattleman. 

"Fortunately there is always a to-morrow, " retorted Bothwell with a bow. 

"Sometimes it's mortgaged to Jack Ketch. "

"I'll wager he doesn't foreclose, Mr. Yeager, " answered Boris with a lipsmile. 

Blythe cut short the repartee. 

"We'll put this man in a stateroom and lock him up, Sedgwick. The restwill stay here guarded by Alderson. If one of them makes a suspiciousmove, shoot him down like a mad dog. Understand, my man?"

"Yes, sir. I'll see they make no trouble, " Alderson answeredresolutely. 

I made a suggestion to our captain. After a moment's consideration heaccepted it. 

"Very good, Mr. Sedgwick. Have Gallagher, Neidlinger, and Higgins freed. See that they clean the ship up till she is fresh as paint. "

The first thing we did was to gather the bodies of the poor fellows whohad fallen in the struggles for the ship. Blythe read the burial servicebefore we sank the weighted corpses into the sea. 

Under my direction the men then swabbed the decks, washed the woodwork, and scoured the copper plates until they shone. 

It was not until luncheon that I found time for more than a word withEvelyn. None of us, I suppose, had suffered more than she and MissBerry, but they made it their business to help us forget the nightmarethrough which we had lately passed. 

I remember that Miss Wallace looked round from a gay little sally atJimmie with a smile in her eyes. I was reaching for some fruit when herglance fell upon my hand. 

"What's the matter with your fingers?" she asked quickly. 

I withdrew my hand promptly. The flesh was swollen and discolored fromthe attentions of Boris Bothwell. 

"I had a little accident--nothing of importance, " was my inadequateanswer. 

Her gaze circled the table, passed from Sam's face to that of Jimmie andfrom Jimmie to Higgins, who was waiting on us. She must have read aconfirmation of her intuition of a secret, for she dropped the subjectat once. 

"Jack crushed his hand against a piece of iron, " explained the captain. 

At which Miss Evelyn murmured. "Oh!" and inquired how long it wouldprobably be before we reached the Bay of Panama. 

"Using only our canvas we may reach there to-morrow night, and we maynot. We can't make very good time till we start the engines again, "Blythe said. 

"And when are you going to start them?" Miss Berry asked. 

"Don't quite know. I'm shy of engineers. The only ones I have are on avacation, " Sam answered with a smile. 

They were not to enjoy one very long, however. About sunset the _Argos_began to rock gently on a sea no longer glassy. 

"Cap says we're going to have trouble, " Yeager informed me. "When youget this sultry smell in the air and that queer look in the sky there isgoing to be something doing. She's going to begin to buck for fair. "

I noticed that Blythe was taking in sail and that the wind was rising. 

"Knock the irons off the Flemings and send Gallagher down into theengine room to stoke for them. We'll need more hands. This thing isgoing to hit us like a wall of wind soon, " he told me. 

When I returned from the forecastle the sea had risen. As I was standingon the bridge a voice called my name. I looked down to see Evelyn on thepromenade deck in a long, close-fitting waterproof coat, her hair flyinga little wildly in the breeze. In the face upturned to mine was a veryvivid interest. 

"We're in for it. There's going to be a real squall, " she crieddelightedly. 

I stepped down and tucked her arm under mine, for the deck was alreadytipping in the heavy run of seas. 

Most of our canvas was in, and the booming wind was humming through therest with growing power. The _Argos_ put her nose into the whitecaps andran like a racer, for the engines were shaking the yacht as she plowedforward. 

The young woman turned to me an eager, mobile face into which the windhad whipped a rich color. 

"What would you take to be somewhere else? Back in your stuffy old lawoffice, say?"

The lurch of the staggering yacht threw her forward so that the lithe, supple body leaned against me and the breath of the dimpling lips was inmy nostrils. 

Just an instant she lay there, with that smile of warm eyes androse-leaf mouth to tantalize me, before she recovered and drew back. 

"Not for a thousand dollars a minute, " I answered, a trumpet peal ofindomitable happiness ringing in my heart. 

From the wheelhouse Blythe shouted a warning to be careful. His voicescarcely reached us through the singing of the wind. I nodded and tookhold of the little hand that lay close to mine. 

"You must be a rich man to value the pleasure of the hour so highly, "she answered lightly, with a look quick and questioning at me. 

The squall that had flung itself across the waters hit us in earnestnow. We went down into the yawning troughs before us with drunkenplunges and climbed the glassy hills beyond to be ready for anotherdive. 

"The richest man alive if last night was not a dream. "

Our fingers interlaced, palms kissing each other. 

"Does it seem to you a dream?" she asked, deep in a valley of the seas. 

From the top of the next comber I answered:

"It did until you joined me here, but now I know you belong to meforever, both in the land of dreams and waking. "

"Did the storm teach you that?"

I looked out at the flying scud and back at the storm-bewitched girlwith laughter rippling from her throat and the wild joy of a rare momentin her eyes. 

"Yes, the storm. It brought you to my arms and your heart to mine. "

"I think it did, Jack; the wee corner of it that was not yours already. "

Her shy eyes fell and I drew her close to me. In the dusk that hadfallen like a cloak over the ship her lips met mine with the sweetestsurrender in the world. 

So in the clamorous storm our hearts found safe anchorage. 

CHAPTER XIX

SENSE AND NONSENSE

The squall passed as suddenly as it had swept upon us, and left in itswake a night of stars and moonbeat. 

Apparently there was no question of returning the mutineers to the ironsfrom which we had freed them. Alderson, Smith, Neidlinger, and Higginswere grouped together on the forecastle deck in amiable chat. 

Blythe was still at the wheel, and our cheerful friend from the cattlecountry at the piano bawling out the identical chorus I had interruptedso ruthlessly just before the first blow of the mutiny was struck. 

He was lustily singing as Evelyn and I trod the deck. 

"Tom sings as if with conviction. I hope it may not be deep-rooted, " Ilaughed. 

"If you mean me----"

"I don't mean Miss Berry. "

To my surprise she took the words seriously. 

"It isn't so, Jack. Say it isn't so. "

"Does that mean that it is?" I asked. 

"No-o. Only I can't bear to think that our happiness will make anybodyelse unhappy. "

"It doesn't appear to be making him unhappy. "

"But he doesn't know--yet. "

"Then he's really serious? I wasn't quite sure. "

She sighed. 

"I wish he wasn't. How girls can like to make men fall in love with themI can't conceive. He's such a splendid fellow, too. "

"He's a man, every inch of him, " I offered by way of comfort. "It won'thurt him to love a good woman even if he doesn't win her. He'll recover, but it will do him a lot of good first. "

"Would you feel so complacent if it were you?" she asked slyly, with aflash of merry eyes. 

We happened to be in the shadow of the smokestack. After the interlude Iexpounded my philosophy more at length. 

"He's young yet--at least his heart is. A man has to love a nice girl ortwo before he is educated to know the right one when he meets her. Idon't pity Yeager--not a great deal, anyhow. It's life, you know, " Iconcluded cheerfully. 

"Oh, I see. A man has to love a nice girl or two as an educativeprocess. " Her voice trailed into the rising inflection of a question. "Then the right girl ought to thank me for helping to prepare Mr. Yeagerfor her--if I am. "

"That's a point of view worth considering, " I assented. 

"But I suppose she will never even know my name, " she mused. 

"Most likely not, " was my complacent answer. 

Whereupon she let me have her thrust with a little purr of amusement inher voice. 

"Any more than I shall know what nice girls prepared you for me. "

"_Touché_, " I conceded with a laugh. "I didn't know you were the kind ofyoung woman that lays traps for a fellow to tumble into. "

"And I didn't know you were a war-worn veteran toughened by previouscampaigns, " she countered gaily. "You've been very liberally educated, didn't you say?"

"No, I didn't say. This is how I put it to myself: A boy owes somethingto the nice girls all about him. One would not like to think, forinstance, that the youths of Tennessee had been so insensible as neverto have felt a flutter when your long lashes drifted their way, " Idiplomatically suggested. 

"How nicely you wrap it up, " she said with her low, soft laugh. "Andmust my heart have fluttered, too, for them? Unless it has, I won't beproperly educated for you, shall I?"

"Ah, that's the difference. You are born perfect lovers, but we have toacquire excellence through experience. "

"Oh!"

An interjection can sometimes express more than words. My sweetheart'sleft me wondering just what she meant. There was amusement in it, butthere was, too, a demure suppression to which I had not the key. 

She, too, I judged, had known a few love episodes in her life. Perhapsshe had been engaged before, as is sometimes the custom among Southerngirls. The thought gave me a queer little stab of pain. 

Yeager came out of the deck pavilion as we passed. 

"I say, let's have some music, good people. "

I looked at my watch. 

"My turn at the wheel. Maybe Blythe will join you. "

He did. From the pilot-house I could hear his clear tenor and Evelyn'ssweet soprano filling the night with music. Presently they drifted intopatriotic songs, in which Tom came out strong if not melodious. Butwhen the piano sounded the notes of "Dixie" Evelyn's voice rose alone, clear and full-throated as that of a lark. 

After being relieved by Alderson I turned in and slept round the clock. The tune of drumming engines was in my ears when I woke. 

"Sam is making her walk, " I thought, and when I reached the deck Ilearned that we had entered the Gulf of Panama. A long, low line showeddimly in the foggy distance to the left. We were running parallel withit, Prieto Point directly in front of us. 

With the exception of the older Fleming, who had been transferred to thesame cabin as Bothwell, all the crew were at work. Only the true men, however, were armed. From the looks cast by the former mutineers towardthe blurred shore line it was plain that they looked forward to Panamawith anxiety. 

In the canal zone, with the flag of the United States flying to thebreeze, the law would give them short shrift. We observed that whenevertheir duties permitted it, they drew uneasily together in earnest talk. 

Blythe smiled grimly. 

"Our friends don't like the wages of sin, now that pay day is at hand. I'll give you two to one, Jack, that before an hour is up you'll see adelegation to the captain. "

He was right. As Sam stepped down from the bridge, having turned thewheel over to Alderson, he was approached timidly by Neidlinger andGallagher. Higgins, in partial payment for his share in the revolt, wastaking a turn at shoveling coal in the stifling furnace room. 

Gallagher touched his hat humbly. 

"We'd like a word with you, Captain Blythe. "

"I thought Bothwell was your captain?"

The sailor flushed. 

"No, sir. We're through with him. "

"Now that he's a prisoner?" suggested Sam. 

"We wish we'd never let him bamboozle us, sir. It would 'a' been a sightbetter for a lot of poor fellows if we'd never seen him. That man's adevil, sir. "

"Indeed!"

As he stood there, a lean brown man straight as a ramrod, efficient tothe last inch of him, it struck me that the mutineers would get justicerather than mercy from our captain. 

The sailor moistened his dry lips and went on. 

"Captain Blythe, we--we're sorry we let ourselves be ledinto--into----"

Gallagher stumbled for a word. Sam supplied it quietly:

"Mutiny. "

"Yes, sir; if you want to put it that way, sir. "

"How else can I put it?"

"We were led astray by that man Bothwell, sir. He promised there wouldbe no bloodshed. We're sorry, sir. "

"I don't doubt it, " the Englishman assented dryly. 

"Begging your pardon, sir, we asks to be taken back and punished by you. Whatever you give us we'll take and not a word out of our heads. Say aflogging and we'll thank you kindly, sir. But don't turn us over to thelaw. "

"Didn't I tell you what would come of it, Gallagher?"

"Yes, sir; you warned us straight. But that man Bothwell had usbewitched. "

"If you're taken ashore at Panama you'll be hanged. "

"We know that, sir. "

Blythe considered for a minute and announced his decision sharply. 

"I'll give you another chance--you two and Higgins and young Fleming. I'll not let you off scot-free, but your punishment will depend on howfaithful you are for the rest of the cruise. "

Once I saw a man acquitted of murder in a courtroom. The verdict wassuch a relief that he fainted. The captain's unexpected clemency tookthese men the same way, for virtually he had untied the noose from theirnecks. Tears started to their eyes. Plainly they were shaken withemotion. 

"You'll not regret it, sir. We'll be true to the death, Captain Blythe, "the Irishman promised, his white lips trembling. 

After Alderson's turn at the wheel came mine. Evelyn presently joined mein the pilot-house. 

"When shall we get ashore?" she asked me. 

We were at the time, I remember, passing Taboga Island. 

"Not till morning. We'll have to be inspected. To-night we'll lie in theharbor. "

"How is your hand?" she asked, glancing at my bruised fingers. 

I flashed a look quickly at her. 

"My hand! Oh, it's all right now. "

"Jimmie's is better, too, " she said quietly. 

In the language of my boyhood I was up a stump. So I played for time. 

"Jimmie's?"

"Yes. I have been taking care of it for him. His fingers were notbruised much, though. It's odd, isn't it, that both of you were hurt inexactly the same place--by accident?"

I murmured that it was strange. 

"So I had a little talk with him, " she went on quietly. 

"Yes?"

"And he told me all about it. Oh, Jack, I didn't think even Boris woulddo a thing like that!" She looked up at me with bright, misty eyes. "Iasked Gallagher and Neidlinger about it. They both told me how brave youwere. "

"I'm grateful for their certificate of valor, " I answered lightly. 

Before I knew what she was at my sweetheart had stooped to kiss thebruises above my knuckles. I snatched my hand away. 

"Don't do that, " I said gruffly. "It isn't exactly--you know--right. "

"Why not?" She looked at me with head flung back in characteristicfashion. "Why not? They suffered for us, the poor, bruised fingers. Whyshouldn't I honor them with my poor best?"

"Oh, well!" I shrugged, embarrassed by her shining ardor, even though inmy heart it pleased me. 

She came close to me. 

"I love you better every day, Jack. You're splendid. Life is going to bea great, big thing for me with you. "

"Even though we don't find the treasure?" I asked, thrilling with thejoy of her confession. 

"We've found the treasure, " she whispered. "I don't give that"--shesnapped her fingers with a gesture of scorn--"for all the gold that wasever buried compared to you, laddie. I just spend my time thanking Godfor you with all my heart. "

"But you mustn't idealize me. I'm full of faults. "

"Don't I know it? Don't I love your faults, too, you goose? Who wants aperfect man?"

"I know, I know. "

The wheel was getting very little attention, for my darling was in myarms and I was kissing softly her tumbled hair and the shadows under herglorious eyes. 

"Love is like that. It doesn't want perfection. I care more for youbecause you're always wanting your own way. The tiny, powdered freckleson the side of your nose are beauty marks to me. "

"You _are_ a goose, " she laughed. "But it's true. I've seen lots ofhandsomer men than you--Boris, for example; but I've never seen one sogood looking. "

"And that's just nonsense, " I told her blithely. 

"Of course it's nonsense. But there is no sense so true as nonsense. "

I dare say we babbled foolishly the inarticulate rhapsody all loversfind so expressive. 

CHAPTER XX

THE BIG DITCH

Darkness had fallen before we dropped anchor in the harbor of Panama. Itwas such a night as only the tropics can produce, the stars burningclose and brilliant, the full moon rising out of a silent sea. In frontof us the lights of the city came twinkling out. Behind them lay themystery of conquest. 

No spot in all the western hemisphere held so much of romance as this. Drake and Pizarro had tarried here in their blustering careers, Morganhad captured and burned the city. 

Many times in the past centuries the Isthmus had been won and lost, butnever had such a victory been gained as that our countrymen had securedin the past half dozen years. 

They had overcome yellow fever and proved that the tropics might be madea safe place for the Anglo-Saxon to live. They had driven a swordthrough the backbone of the continent and had built a canal throughwhich great liners could climb up and down stairs from one ocean toanother. 

The dream of the centuries had become a reality through the skill andresolution with which the sons of Uncle Sam had tackled the big ditch. 

It may be guessed how anxious all of us were to get ashore. There waslittle sleep aboard the _Argos_ that night. It was long past midnightbefore any of us left the deck. 

The truth is that the yacht had become a prison to us just as it had toBothwell. The thought of a few days on land, where we need not watchevery moment to keep our throats from being slit, was an enormousrelief. 

But Blythe was taking no chances with the vessel. It had been decidedamong us that either he, Yeager, or I should remain in charge of the_Argos_ every minute of our stay. 

I had volunteered for the first day and Yeager was to relieve me on thesecond. 

All three of us were firmly resolved, though we had not yet broached thesubject to Evelyn, that the ladies should remain in the canal zone whilewe continued down the coast to lift the treasure. 

Before Bothwell was taken ashore he had the effrontery to ask for a talkwith his cousin. Blythe did not even submit his request to her. Flemingand he were removed from the vessel while the ladies were eatingbreakfast with Yeager, so that they did not even know until afterwardthat the men had been turned over to the authorities. 

None of the reconstructed mutineers asked for shore leave. Each of themknew that if he left the ship he would be liable to arrest for a capitaloffense and preferred to take his chance of any punishment the captainmight inflict. 

The day was an endless one, but it wore away at last. The cattleman wasto relieve me at breakfast time. I was up with the summer sun and hadbathed, shaved, and eaten long before the city showed any sign ofactivity around the harbor. 

"You'll like Panama, " Yeager assured me after he had clambered aboard. "It's a city of madmen, plumb daffy about the big ditch. The men can'ttalk anything but cuts, dams, cubic feet, steam plows, and earth slides. But, by Moses, when I see what they've done it makes me glad I'm anAmerican. Everything is the biggest in the world--the dam, the locks, the cuts, the lake, the machinery, the whole blessed works. They've seta new mark for the rest of the earth. "

"What is Sam doing about getting a crew in place of our preciousmutineers?" I asked. 

"He's picked up several fellows already. A Yankee named Stubbs is chiefengineer. Sam is shipping Jamaica niggers for firemen. "

No schoolboy out for a holiday could have been half so keen to be freeas I was. At the wharf I picked up a _coche_ and was driven to theTivoli, the hotel in the American quarter where our party was staying. 

The mud and the mosquitoes of former years were gone, though the nativeswere as indolent as ever. It is a town of color, due largely to theassorted population. I was told by a young engineer from Gatun thatforty languages are spoken on the Isthmus at present, a condition due tothe number of Caribbean islanders employed by our government. 

I found that the program for the day included a trip to Colon on theIsthmus railroad. Miss Berry preferred to rest quietly at the hotel, soher niece, Sam, and I set out to see the great canal. 

As I look back on it now Panama means to me a series of panoramicpictures. To give more than a cursory description of our impressions isimpossible. The fact is that one obliterated another so swiftly as toleave a sense only of confusion. 

Take Culebra Cut, for instance, where the monsters of man's inventionare biting into the mountain sides, ripping down with giant jaws loosedirt, and hauling it away on a maze of tracks. 

Great hoses, under tremendous pressure, are tearing at hills andwashing them down. All the time there is a deafening noise, the crash ofthe continent's spine being rent by dynamite, the roar of trains, theshrieks of dirt shovels blowing off steam, the stab and hammer ofdrills. 

Man is making war on nature with amazing energy on a titanic scale. Thedisorder seemed hopeless, but one realized that these little figuresmoving about it in the man-made cañon were achieving the seeminglyimpossible none the less. 

"Isn't it wonderful?" Evelyn asked for the tenth time, as we looked downon a machine which had just seized a section of track and hoisted it up, rails and ties complete, to swing it over to another place. 

I quoted to her Damon Runyon's verses:

 We are ants upon a mountain, but we're leavin' of our dent, An' our teeth-marks bitin' scenery they will show the way we went; We're a liftin' half-creation, and we're changin' it around, Just to suit our playful purpose when we're diggin' in the ground. 

"You Americans take the cake, " Blythe admitted. "You never tire of doingbig things. "

His eyes had come back to a group of young engineers who had justentered the car. The grimy sweat had dried on their sooty faces andtheir hands were black and greasy. They wore no coats and their shirts, wet from the perspiration drawn by the hot Panama sun, stuck to themuscular shoulders. 

They looked like tramps from their attire, but Olympians could not havecarried in their manner a blither confidence. These boys--I'll swear theoldest could have been no more than twenty-five--had undertaken to cutasunder what God has joined. 

It did not matter to them in the least that they looked like coalminers. The only thing of importance was the work, the big ditch. Yet Iknew that these were just such splendid fellows as our technical schoolsare turning out by thousands. 

A few years before their thoughts had been full of cotillions and girlsand the junior prom. The Isthmus had laid hold of them and hardenedtheir muscles and bronzed their faces and given them a toughness offiber that would last a lifetime. 

They had taken on responsibility as if they had been born to it. A glowof pride in them flushed me. I was proud of the country that could flingout by hundreds of thousands such young fellows as these. 

Empire, Gorgona, Gatun. From one to another we were hurried, passingthrough jungles such as we of the North never dream exist. In thathumid climate vegetation is prodigal beyond belief, gorgeous withspattered greens and yellows and crimsons bizarre enough to take thebreath. 

We ate luncheon at Colon and were back across the Isthmus at Panama afew hours later. After dinner we strolled around the city and saw theParque de la Catedral, the Plaza Santa Ana, and the old sea wall. 

It did my heart good to see broad-shouldered, alert young Americanswalking with wholesome girls from home and making love to them in thesame fashion their friends were doing up in "God's country. "

Bothwell and his bunch of pirates began to lose themselves in thebackground of my mind. There was a dance at the hotel that evening. Before I had waltzed twice with Evelyn her buccaneer cousin haddissolved into a myth. 

When Yeager came ashore next morning he brought a piece of news. HenryFleming had taken a boat during the night and escaped. 

"If I run across him I'll curl his hair for him, " Tom promised with alook that made me think he would keep his word. 

But I was not sorry Fleming had taken French leave. Neidlinger could betrusted now, and neither Higgins nor Gallagher would go far astraywithout a leader. 

But both the engineers had known of Bothwell's plans from the first. IfI could have foreseen what effect the desertion of our second engineerwas to have upon the expedition I would not have taken his disappearanceso easily. 

Our stay on the canal zone was a delightful one, though we were busyevery minute of the time enjoying ourselves or making preparations fordeparture. With some difficulty Blythe picked up two engineers and acouple of firemen from Barbados and Jamaica, the latter of whom werenatives. Philips was to stay at Panama until our return. 

I had my share of duty aboard the _Argos_ to do, but every minute thatwas my own I spent in the old city or on the works. 

Evelyn surprised us by making no objection to our decree that she shouldremain at Panama while we took the _Argos_ down to San Miguel Bay tolift the doubloons. In spite of her courage she was a woman. Sheconfessed to me that she had seen bloodshed enough on the way down fromCalifornia to last her a lifetime. The thought of returning so soon tothe yacht had been a dreadful one to her. 

On the afternoon of our last day at Panama, Evelyn and I went out tothe old sea wall for an hour together. The tide was in and from theparapet we watched the waves beat against the foot of the wall. 

Away to our right was Balboa, above which rested a smoke pall from tugs, dredges, and tramp west coasters. Taboga we could just make out, andcloser in a group of smaller islands the names of which I haveforgotten. Beyond them all stretched the endless Pacific. 

Evelyn was quieter than usual, but I had never seen her look so lovely. The poise of my dear girl's burnished head, the untutored grace of herdelicate youth, the gleam of tears behind the tremulous smile, all mademighty appeal to me. 

"I'm afraid for you, Jack. That's the truth of it. We've just found eachother--after all these years. I don't want to run the risk of losing youagain. " Ever so slightly her voice broke. 

"You'll not lose me. Do you think anything could keep me away--with thesweetest girl in the world waiting for me here?"

"I know, " she smiled, a little drearily. "It sounds foolish, but I thinkof that dreadful man. "

We had been following the cement promenade on top of the wall. I led heracross it to the landward side, from which we could look down into theyard of a prison. Under the eyes of an armed guard some prisoners werecrossing to their cells. Two of them were in stripes, the third was not. 

"Look, " I told her. "Bothwell is down there, locked up and guarded. Hecan't escape. "

The little group below came closer. I had noticed that the prisoner notin uniform was a white man and not a native. He carried himself with adistinction one could not miss. Even before he looked up both of us knewthe man was Boris Bothwell. 

He stopped in his tracks, white-lipped, a devil of hatred and rageburning out of his deep-set eyes. A dullard could not have missed histhoughts. He was a prisoner in this vile hole, while I had brought thewoman he loved to mock at him. The girl and the treasure would both bemine. Before him lay no hope. 

I felt a sense of shame at being an unexpected witness of hisdegradation. As I started to draw Evelyn back a guard prodded the Slavwith his bayonet point. Bothwell whirled like a tiger and sprang for thethroat of the fellow. They went down together. Other guards rushed tothe rescue of their companion. 

We waited to see no more. 

It must have been a minute before either of us spoke. 

"Bad as he is, I can't help being sorry for him. It's as if a splendidlion were being worried to death by a pack of coyotes, " Evelyn said witha shudder. 

"Yes, there's something big even in his villainy. But you may take onebit of comfort: He can't get free to interfere with us--and he deservesall he'll get. "

"I know. My reason tells me that all will be well now, but I have afeeling as if the worst were not yet over. "

I tried to joke her out of it. 

"It hasn't begun. You're not married to Jack Sedgwick yet. "

"No; but, dear, I can't get away from the thought that you are goinginto danger again, " she went on seriously. 

"Tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink, " I quoted lightly. 

"I dare say I'm a goose, " she admitted. 

"You are. My opinion is that you're in as much danger as we shall be. "

"Is that why you are leaving me here?" she flashed back. 

I laughed. In truth I did not quite believe what I had said. For Icould see no danger at all that lay in wait for her. But the eventsproved that I had erred only in not putting the case strongly enough. Before we returned to civilization she was to be in deadly peril. 

CHAPTER XXI

A MESSAGE FROM BUCKS

In the forenoon we drew out from the harbor and followed the shore linetoward the southwest, bound for that neck of the Isthmus which is knownloosely as The Darien. 

Before night had fallen we were rounding Brava Point into the Gulf ofSan Miguel, so named by Balboa because it was upon St. Michael's Day, 1513, that his eyes here first fell upon the blue waters of the Pacific. 

We followed the north shore, along precipitous banks that grew higherthe farther inland we went. The dense jungle came down to the water'sedge and was unbroken by any sign of human habitation. 

In the brilliant moonlight we passed the South and the North bays, pushing straight into the Darien Harbor by way of the Boco Chico. Thetides here have a rise and fall of nearly twenty feet, but we found alittle inlet close to a mangrove swamp that offered a good harborage forthe night. 

The warm sun was pouring over the hill when I reached the deck nextmorning. We were steaming slowly past the village of La Palma along aprecipitous shore heavily timbered. One could not have asked apleasanter trip than that to the head of the harbor, at which point theRio Tuyra pours its waters into the bay. Between La Palma and the rivermouth we did not see a sign of human life. 

At the distance of a rifle shot from the head of the harbor we rounded apoint and saw before us a long tongue of sand running into the water. 

Blythe and I spoke almost together:

"Doubloon Spit. "

There could be no mistake about it. We had reached the place where BullyEvans and Nat Quinn had buried the gold ingots they had sold their soulsto get. We came to anchor a couple of hundred yards from the end of thesand spit. 

Neither Blythe nor I had said a word to any of the crew to indicate thatwe were near our journey's end, but all morning there had been anunusual excitement aboard. Now we could almost see the word run from manto man that the spot where the treasure was buried lay before us. 

"You'll command the shore party to-day, Jack, " Blythe announced. 

"Do I draw shore duty?" Yeager asked eagerly. 

"You do. I'll stay with the ship. Jack, you'll have with you, too, Alderson, Smith, Gallagher, and one of the stokers. "

"Also James A. Garfield Welch, " I added. 

"Also Jimmie, " he nodded. 

We had no reason to expect any trouble, but we went ashore armed, withthe exception of Gallagher and Barbados, as we called our white-toothed, black-faced fireman. 

I had our boat beached at the neck of the peninsula. While the men weredrawing it up on the sand beyond reach of the tide I called to Jimmie. 

"Yes, Mr. Sedgwick. "

"Take off your coat. "

"Are youse going to give me that licking now?" he asked, eyes big withsurprise. 

"How often have I told you not to ask questions? Shuck the coat. "

He twisted out of it like an eel. I took it from him, turned it insideout, and opened my pocket knife. Carefully I ripped the lining at theseams. From a kind of pocket I drew an envelope. Out of the envelope Itook the map that had been so closely connected with the history ofDoubloon Spit. 

When I say the men were surprised, I do them less than justice. Onecould have knocked their eyes off with a stick. 

"Crikey! I didn't know that was there, " Jimmie cried. 

It had been Evelyn's idea to sew the map in Jimmie's coat, since thatwas the last place the mutineers would think of looking for it. While hehad been peacefully sleeping Miss Wallace had done so neat a piece oftailoring that Jimmie did not suspect the garment had been tamperedwith. 

We had, however, taken the precaution to take a copy of the map. Duringall the desperate fighting it had been lying in a shell snugly fittedinto one of the chambers of a revolver in Yeager's room. 

"Beg pardon, sir. Did the boy have the map with him while he was Mr. Bothwell's prisoner?" asked Gallagher. 

"He did; but he didn't know it. "

"Glad he didn't, sir, because if he had that devil would have got it outof him. "

"Which no doubt would have distressed you greatly, " I answered dryly. 

"I'm on the honest side now, sir, " the sailor said quietly. 

"Let's hope you stay there. "

"I intend to, sir, " he said, flushing at my words. 

[Illustration: "CRIKEY! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS THERE, " JIMMIE CRIED. P. 240]

The chart that Tom and I looked at was a contour map of the spit and theterritory adjacent to it. No doubt it had in the old days been roughlyaccurate, but now the tongue of sand was wider than it had been bynearly a hundred years of sand deposits washed up by the tide. 

Both on the map and the spit a salient feature was the grove of palmsthat stood on the hill just beyond the neck of the peninsula. Hereplainly was the starting point of our quest. With Yeager I led the wayto the clump, followed by my men carrying spades and shovels. 

"Ye Grove" the clump of palms was labeled, and the great drooping treeto one side some fifty yards farther down the hill must be "Ye UmbrelaTree. "

Beneath the map were the directions for finding the treasure, written inthe angular hand of Nat Quinn. In order that you may understand I givethese just as he had written them. 

 HOW TO FIND ITTE:

 From inlet nearest shore go 200 paces to summit where Grove is. From most eastern palm measure 12 steps to Ye Umbrela Tree and seven beyond. Take a Be line from here thirty paces throu ye Forked Tree. Here cut a Rite Anggel N. N. E. Till Tong of Spit is lost. Cast three long steps Souwest to Big Rock and dig on landward side. 

 (Sined)

 Bully Evans X (His Mark) Nat Quinn

While I had been poring over this map and the directions with it in myoffice at San Francisco it had seemed an easy thing to follow them, butin this dense, tropical jungle I found it quite another matter. 

The vegetation and the underbrush were so rank that one found himselfburied before he had gone three steps in them. 

No doubt at the time when the survivors of the _Mary Ann_ of Bristol hadcached their ill-gotten doubloons a recent fire had swept this point ofland so that they had found no difficulty in traversing it, but now thejungle was so thick and matted that I decided to begin by cutting roadsto the palm grove and the umbrella tree. 

From the yacht I got hatchets and machetes and we set to work. Beforenight we all had a tremendous respect for the power of resistanceoffered by a Panama jungle. We might almost as well have hacked atrubber. 

There was none of that sturdy solidity of our northern woods. The jungleyields to every blow and springs back into place with a persistence thatseems devilish. By nightfall we had made so little progress that I wasdiscouraged. 

To our right there was a mangrove swamp. As we passed its edge on theway back to the boat our eyes beheld thousands upon thousands of birdscoming there to roost for the night. Among them were many aigretteherons, white as the driven snow. I think I have never seen a bird sostriking as this one. 

Blythe, with Neidlinger, Higgins, our engineers, and the other fireman, took the second day on shore. Morgan was doing the cooking, and so wasexempt from service. Dugan, still weak from his wound, was helping inthe galley as best as he could. 

All through the third day it rained hard, but on the fourth I and mydetail were back on the job. We were making progress. By this time apath had been cut through to the palm grove and from it to the umbrellatree. 

It was clear that a century ago the line of palms must have stretchedfarther down the hill, for now the nearest was at least fifty yards fromthe umbrella tree, instead of twelve as mentioned in the directions. 

The only alternative to this was that the original umbrella tree haddisappeared, and this I did not want to believe. At best one of thelandmarks had gone. 

We could go seven paces beyond the big tree, but "beyond" is a vagueword, the point from which the measurement began having vanished. 

Moreover, we encountered here another difficulty. 

"Take a Be line from here thirty paces throu ye Forked Tree, " we read onthe chart, but the forked tree had apparently fallen and rotted longsince. There were trees in the jungle, to be sure, but none of them wereof sufficient age to have been in existence then. 

The best I could do was to guess at the point seven paces beyond theumbrella tree and, using it as a center, draw a circle around it atthirty paces. Our machetes hacked a trail, and at one point of it wecrossed the stump of a tree that had been in its day of some size. 

The stump had rotted so that one could kick it to pieces with the heelof a boot. This might or might not be the remains of the forked tree, but since we were working on a chance, this struck us as a good one totry. 

It was impossible to tell where the fork had been, but we made a guessat it and proceeded to follow directions. 

"Here cut a Rite Anggel N. N. E. Till Tong of Spit is lost. "

This at least was specific and definite. North northeast we went by thecompass, slashing our way through the heavy vines and shrubbery inch byinch. We dipped over a hillock and came out of the jungle into the sandbefore the end of the spit was hidden by higher ground. 

"Cast three long steps Souwest to Big Rock and dig on landward side. "

Three steps to the southwest brought me deeper into the sand. There wasno big rock in sight. 

I looked at Tom. He laughed, as he had a habit of doing when in adifficulty. 

"I guess we'll have to try again, Jack. "

Gallagher broke in, touching his hat in apology:

"Not meaning to butt in, Mr. Sedgwick, but mightn't the rock be coveredwith sand? Give a hundred years and a heap of sand would wash into thiscove here. "

"There's sense in that. Anyhow, we'll try out your theory, Gallagher. "

I marked a space about twelve by twelve upon which to begin operations. It took us an hour and a half to satisfy ourselves that nothing washidden there. 

I marked a second square, a third, and finally a fourth. Dusk fellbefore we had finished digging the last. Tired and dispirited we pulledback to the yacht. 

During the night it came on to rain again, and for three successive dayswater sluiced down from skies which never seemed empty of moisture. There was a gleam of sunshine the fourth day and though the jungle waslike a shower bath Blythe took his machete and shovel squad to work. 

At the end of the day they were back again. Sam had picked on a great_lignum vitæ_ as the forked tree named in the chart and had come todisappointment, even as I had. 

In the end it was Gallagher who set us right. By this time, of course, every member of our party had the directions on the chart by heart, though several had not read the paper. We had finished luncheon andseveral of the men were strolling about. I was half way through my cigarwhen Gallagher came swinging back almost at a run. 

"Beg pardon, sir. Would you mind coming with me?"

"What is it?" I asked in some excitement. 

"It may not amount to anything. I don't know. But I thought I'd tellyou, Mr. Sedgwick. "

He had been lying down on the sand where it ran back to the jungle fromthe farthest inlet. Kicking idly with his heel he had come to solidstone. An examination proved to him that he was lying on a big rockcovered with sand. 

"You think this is the Big Rock, " I said, after I had examined it. 

"That's my idea. Stand here, sir, at the edge. You can't see the tongueof the spit, can you?"

"No, but that doesn't prove anything. We can't see it from this inlet atall. "

"Sure about that, sir? Take three steps nor'east--long ones. Can you seethe point now?"

"No, there's a hillock between. "

"Take one step more. "

I moved forward another yard. Over the top of the rise I could just seethe sand tongue running into the bay. 

Jimmie, the irrepressible, broke out impatiently. 

"Don't see what he's getting at, Mr. Sedgwick. The map says to takethree steps _southwest_ to the big rock. "

"Exactly, Jimmie, but we're starting _from_ the big rock, so we have toreverse directions. By Jove, I believe you've hit on the spot, Gallagher. "

I called to Alderson to bring the men with their spades. A tree morethan a foot thick at the ground had grown up at the edge of the rock. Webrought this down by digging at the roots. After another quarter of anhour's work Barbados unearthed a bottle. He was as proud of his find asif it had been a bar of gold. 

We were all excited. The bottle was passed from hand to hand. 

"We're getting warm, " I cried. "This is the spot. Remember that everymother's son of you shares what we find. Five dollars to the man thatfirst touches treasure. "

There was a cheer. The men fell to work with renewed vigor. PresentlyGallagher's spade hit something solid. A little scraping showed the topof an iron box. 

"I claim that five, sir, " cried Gallagher. 

I jumped into the hole beside him. With our hands we scraped the dirtaway from the sides. 

"Heave away, " I gave the word. 

We lifted the box to the solid ground above. It was very rusty, of agood size, and heavy. 

"Let's open it now, " cried Jimmie, dancing with enthusiasm. 

"Let's not, " I vetoed. "We'll take it on board first. Five dollars tothe man that finds the second box. "

But there was no second box. We worked till dark at the hole. Before weleft there was an excavation large enough for the cellar of a house. Butnot a trace of more treasure did we find. 

Blythe had decided it best not to open the treasure before the men, andthough the crew was plainly disappointed we stuck to that resolution. 

Sam promised the men that they should see it before we reached SanFrancisco, and that they should appoint two of their number to accompanythe treasure to the assay office in that city to determine the value ofour find and their share. 

Yeager, being handier with an ax than the rest of us, broke open the lidof the chest. A piece of coarse sacking covered the contents. Blythelifted this--_and disclosed to our astonished eyes a jumble of stonesand sand_. 

We looked at our find and at each other. Tom put our feeling into words. 

"Bilked, by Moses!"

We tossed the rocks and sand upon the table and came to a piece ofragged paper folded in two. In a faint red four words were traced as ifwith the end of a pointed stick. 

Sold, you devils! BUCKS. 

CHAPTER XXII

TREASURE-TROVE

Tom broke the silence again. 

"Now will some one tell me who the devil is Bucks?"

It was the question in all our minds and our eyes groped helplessly inthose of each other for an answer. 

"Bucks! Bucks! I've heard his name somewhere. "

Blythe spoke up like a flash. 

"So have I, Jack. He was one of the sailors that took the _SantaTheresa_. Quinn gave a list of them in his story. This fellow must haveescaped somehow when the ship was blown up. "

"Or from the gig that set out to pursue the long boat. Perhaps when the_Truxillo_ pounded the boat to pieces he swam to shore, " I suggested. 

"Yes, but Quinn does not mention that Bucks got ashore. That's funnytoo, because he says that he was the only man from the _Santa Theresa_left alive after Bully Evans was shot. "

"That is queer. But it's plain Bucks _did_ escape. Don't you think itmight be this way? When he got to shore he ran forward to tell the fourwho had landed with the treasure about the coming of the _Truxillo_. Butbefore he reached the top of the hill he heard shots and suspecteddanger. So he stole forward cautiously and saw what had happened to Walland Lobardi. Of course he wouldn't dare show himself then, for he wasprobably unarmed. So he kept hidden while the two survivors buried thetreasure. "

"Of course. Like a wise man too, " assented Tom. "And when Quinn and themate had pulled their freights he steps out and buries the gold inanother place. "

"Probably he waited till the _Truxillo_ was out of the harbor, " amendedthe Englishman. 

"Sure. But the big point that sticks out like a sore thumb is that Bucksdidn't fool Evans and Quinn, but us. The treasure's gone. That's arock-bottom fact, " Yeager commented. 

"I'm not so sure about that, " I reflected aloud. "Look here. If Bucksdug the gold up he had to rebury it somewhere. He had no way of takingthe doubloons with him. He couldn't have hauled the other boxes far. Therefore, it follows that he buried them close to where he found them. The one thing we don't know is whether he came back later and got thetreasure. I'll bet he didn't. The man was a common sailor and had nomeans. "

"Even if we give you the benefit of every doubt, the treasure is hidden. We don't know where. In a year we might not find it. "

"True enough, Sam. And we might stumble on it to-morrow. Look at thefacts. He was alone, probably superstitious, certainly in fear lestBully Evans might return and find him there. More than that, he had noprovisions. To get away and reach the Indians to get food would be hismain thought. It was a case of life and death with him. So you can bethe chose easy digging when he transferred the treasure. That means heburied it in the sand not far from where he found it. "

"You have it figured out beautifully, " Sam laughed. "Well, I wish youluck. "

"But you don't expect any for me. Just you wait and see. "

We called the crew in and showed them what we had found, explaining thefacts and our deductions from them. For we thought it better they shouldknow just how matters stood. Their disappointment was keen, but to a manthey were eager to search further. 

Hitherto we had staked our chances for success upon the map, but it wasnow manifest that the chart was no longer of any use. I decided first totake a look along the shore from the point where we had discovered thefirst box. 

Fortune is a fickle jade. We had spent a week here and met onlydisappointment, working on careful calculations made from the directionsleft by Quinn. By chance Gallagher had hit on the first cache. By chanceI hit on the second. 

Fighting my way through the jungle just adjacent to the beach I stumbledover what I took to be a root. In some annoyance I glanced hastily atthe projection--and then looked again. My foot had been caught by a bonesticking out of the ground. The odd thing was that it looked like ahuman bone. 

I plied my machete. Within a quarter of an hour I had cleared a smallsquare of ground and was digging with a pick. What I presently uncoveredwere the remains of a skeleton. An old sack, more brittle than paper, lay beneath these. This I removed. There, lying in the sand, were _threebars of gold_. 

My heart jumped, lost a beat, hammered furiously. I looked aroundquickly. Alderson and Gallagher were the only men I had brought ashorewith me. They were digging at haphazard in the sand a hundred yardsaway. With one stroke of the pick I upended several more yellow bars. 

That was enough for me. I laid aside the first three and covered theothers with sand, using my foot as a spade. The three original bars Ibuttoned under my coat and then walked down hill to the beach. 

"I'm going aboard, " I told the men. 

"Gallagher, you may row me out. I'll be back presently, Alderson. "

I was under a tremendous suppressed excitement. Blythe met me as I cameaboard and his eyes questioned mine. Without a word we moved toward thebridge pavilion and down into the saloon. 

"I've had another message from Mr. Bucks, " I told him. 

"The deuce you say!"

"He delivered it in person this time. "

The Englishman's eyes danced, but otherwise his face was immobile. 

"Did he say his name was Bucks?"

"No. I'm not dead sure I have him identified correctly. As Tom wouldsay, the brand is worn out. "

"I never was any good at riddles, " he admitted. 

"I stumbled over a thigh bone in the jungle. It was sticking out of theground, where in the course of time the sand had buried the rest of thebody. I have reason to think it belonged to Bucks because----"

I paused for dramatic effect, my arms folded across my chest to keep thetreasure from slipping down. 

"Just so, because----?"

He was as cool as an iced melon, the drawl in his voice not quickeningin the least. But his eyes gave away his tense interest. 

"Why, because I found a lot of these in the sand, all of them measuringup to sample. " From under my coat I drew the shining yellow bars andhanded them to him. 

"Gold!" he cried softly. "By Jove, this is a find. "

"And a lot more where those came from, or I miss my guess. There is amound there that looks to me like a cache. "

"But what was Bucks doing there?"

"That's a guess. Here is mine. It doesn't cost you a cent even if youdon't accept it. After he had made the cache we'll say that he hiked offto try to find a settlement. Very likely he had no idea where to lookand he found progress through the jungle impossible. After a while hewandered back, half starved and exhausted. Perhaps his idea may havebeen that the _Truxillo_ was still on the ground. If so, he may havewanted to offer the gold in exchange for his life. Anyhow, back hecomes, to find that he is too late. The brig has gone. In his deliriumhe has some notion of digging up the treasure to buy food. He gets thefirst sack of bullion up and then quits, too weak to do any more. "

"Sounds reasonable enough. The chief point is that you've found thegold. I'll order a force ashore to help you. "

There is something in the very thought of treasure-trove that unsettlesthe most sane. Not a word was said to anybody except Tom about what Ihad found, but everybody on board was sure the bullion had been found. 

Before the eyes of each man danced shining yellow ingots and pieces ofeight. We could tell it by the eagerness with which they volunteered forshore duty. 

I chose Yeager, the chief engineer--he was a lank Yankee namedStubbs--and Jamaica Ginger, as we called our second fireman. With us wetook ashore a stout box, in which to pack the loose gold. 

Those left on board cheered us as we pulled toward the beach, and weanswered lustily their cheer. Every man jack of us was in the best ofspirits. 

By this time it was late in the afternoon, but the sun was still veryhot. I was careful not to let anybody work long at a stretch. As thebars of gold were uncovered we packed them in the box brought for thepurpose. Every time a shovel disclosed a new find there was freshjubilation. 

While Alderson and I were resting under the shade of a mangrove thesailor made a suggestion. 

"You don't expect to get all the treasure out to-night, do you, sir?"

"No. Perhaps not by to-morrow night. It is hard digging among so manyroots. And Mr. Bucks does not seem to have put it all together. "

"Will you keep a guard here, Mr. Sedgwick?"

"Yes. It looks like a deserted neck of the woods, but we'll take nochances. "

"That is what I was thinking, sir. Last night I couldn't sleep for theheat and I strung a hammock on deck. About three o'clock this morning aboat passed on its way to the mouth of the river. "

"Cholo Indians, likely. "

"No, sir. This was a schooner. It was some distance away, but I couldmake that out. "

"Well, we'll keep this place under our eye till the treasure islifted. "

About sunset I sent Gallagher, Stubbs, and Jamaica Ginger aboard withthe box of treasure, the Arizonian being in charge of the boat. While Iwaited for its return I took a turn up the beach to catch the lightbreeze that was beginning to stir. 

I walked toward the head of the harbor, strolling farther in thatdirection than any of us had yet gone. I went possibly an eighth of amile above the spit, carrying my hat in my hand and moving in aleisurely way. 

In truth I was at peace with the world. We had succeeded in our questand found the treasure. In a few days at most I should be back at Panamawith my slim sweetheart in my arms. What more could rational man ask?

Then I stopped in my stride, snatched into a sudden amazement. For therebefore me in the sand was the imprint of a boot made since the tide wentout a few hours earlier in the day. 

No flat-footed Indian had left the track. It was too sharp, toodecisive, had been left plainly by a shoe of superior make. 

No guess of the truth came to me, but instinctively I eased the revolverin the scabbard by my side. Of this much I was sure, that whereas I hadsupposed no white man except those of our party to be within manymiles, there was at least one in the immediate vicinity. 

What, then, was he doing here? How had he come? Had he any intimationthat there was treasure to be found? It was altogether likely thatwhoever this man was he had not come to this desolate spot withoutcompanions and without a very definite purpose. 

Where were they, then? And how did it happen we had not seen them? Thevery secrecy of their presence seemed to suggest a sinister purpose. 

Should I go on and follow the tracks. Or should I go back and notifyBlythe at once? The latter no doubt would be the wiser course, but myimpulse was to push forward and discover something more definite. Asluck would have it, the decision was taken out of my hands. 

Out of the jungle a man came straight toward me. The very sight of thatstrong, erect figure moving swiftly with easy stride tied, as it were, astone to my heart. The man was Boris Bothwell. I was sure of it longbefore his face was distinguishable. 

He waved a hand at me with debonair insouciance. 

I waited for him without moving, my fingers on the butt of the revolverat my side. 

"So happy to meet you again, dear friend, " he jeered as soon as he waswithin hail. 

"What are you doing here? How did you get out?" I demanded. 

"My simple-minded youth, money goes a long way among the natives. Ibought my way out, since you are curious to know. "

"And you've followed us down here to make more trouble?"

"To renew our little private war. How did you guess it?"

"So you haven't had enough yet. You have come back to take anotherlicking. "

"It's a long lane that has no turning, " he assured me gaily. "I give youmy word that I've reached the bend, Mr. Sedgwick. "

His confident audacity got on my nerves. On the surface we had all thebest of the game. The trouble was that he knew the cards I held, whereasI could only guess at his. 

"You are the most unmitigated villain not yet hanged!" I cried in rage. 

He bowed, rakish and smiling, with all the airs of a dancing master. 

"I fear you flatter me, sir. "

"I warn you to keep your hands off. We're ready for you. "

"I thought it only fair to warn _you_. That is why I am here and havethe pleasure of talking with you. "

"More lies. You showed yourself only because you knew I had seen yourfootprints. "

He gave up the point with an easy laugh. 

"But really I did want to talk with you. We have many interests incommon. Our taste in women, for instance. By the way, did you leave Eviewell?"

Triumph swam in the eyes, narrowed to slits, through which he watchedme. I could not understand his derisive confidence. 

"We'll not discuss that, " I told him bluntly. 

"As you say. I come to another common interest--the treasure. Is itrunning up to our hopes?"

So he knew that we had found it. No doubt he had been watching us allday through the telescope that hung at his side. 

"We don't recognize any hopes you may have. "

"But why not face facts? I intend to own the treasure when you have dugit up for me. "

"You're of a sanguine temperament. "

"Poof! Life is a game of cards. First you hold trumps, then they fall tome. It chances that now I hold the whip and ride on the crest offortune's wave. Hope you don't mind mixed figures. "

"You'll ride at the end of the hangman's rope, " I prophesied. 

"Let us look on the bright side. "

"I'm trying to do that. "

The man knew something that I did not. I was not bandying repartee withhim for pleasure, but because I knew that if he talked long enough hewould drop the card hidden up his sleeve. 

What was his ace of trumps? How could he afford to sit back and let usdig up the gold? He could not be merely bluffing, for the man had beenlaughing at me from that first wave of the hand. 

"It is unfortunate that you and I don't pull together, Mr. Sedgwick. We'd make an invincible team. You're the best enemy I ever met. "

"And you're the worst I've met. "

"Same thing, I assure you. We both mean compliments. But what I want tosay is that it is against the law of conservation of energy for us to beopposing each other. I propose combination instead of competition. "

"Be a little more definite, please. "

"Chuck your friends overboard and go into partnership with me. "

"Are you speaking literally, or in metaphor, captain?"

He shrugged. 

"That's a mere detail. If you have compunctions we'll maroon them. "

"Just what you promised the crew last time, " I scored. 

"Wharf rats!" He waved the point aside magnificently. "I'm proposing nowa gentleman's agreement. "

"Which you'll keep as long as it suits you. "

"I thought you knew me better. "

"What have you to offer? My friends and I can keep the treasure. Whyshould I ditch them for you? What's the _quid pro quo_?"

"You and Evie and I will go shares, third and third alike. The betterman of us two will marry her. If it should be you, that will give youtwo-thirds. "

"You're very generous. "

"Oh, I intend to marry her if I can. But I'll play fair. If she has thebad taste to prefer you----"

"In the event that I should happen to be alive still, " I amended. "Youknow how dangerous yellow fever is in the Isthmus, captain. I am afraidthat it would get me before we reached the canal zone again. "

He chuckled. 

"If you have a fault, my friend, it lies on the side of suspicion. WhenI give my word I keep it--that is, when I give it to a gentleman. "

"I don't want to lead you into the temptation of revising your opinionof me and deciding that I am no gentleman. "

"Come, Mr. Sedgwick. We're not two fishwives to split hairs over atrifle. I offer a compromise. Do you accept it?"

"You offer me nothing I haven't got already. A share of thetreasure--that will be mine, anyhow, as soon as we have it assayed andweighed. "

"You forget Evie. "

"Who is safe at Panama, beyond your reach, you scoundrel. Why should Ifear you as a rival since your life is forfeit as soon as you show yourhead?"

He could not have spoken more insolently himself. It was hot shot, but Ipoured it in for a purpose. The mask fell from his face. One could seethe devil in his eyes now. 

"You reject my offer, " he said, breathing hard to repress his risingpassion. 

A second man had come out of the jungle and was moving toward us. Itwas time to be going. I moved back a step or two, my fingers caressingthe butt of a revolver. 

"Yes, since I don't want to commit suicide, captain. "

He suddenly lost his temper completely and hopelessly. He glared at mein a speechless rage, half of a mind to fight our quarrel out on thespot. But the advantage lay with me. All I had to do to blaze away wasto tilt the point of my revolver at him without drawing it from thescabbard. Then words came, poured out of him in a torrent. He cursed mein Russian, in French, in English. 

I backed from him, step by step, till I was out of range. Then, swiftlyas his rage had swept upon him it died away, leaving him white andshaken. He leaned heavily upon the man who had now joined him. 

Unless I was much mistaken the man was George Fleming. 

CHAPTER XXIII

ABOARD THE SCHOONER

Dignity be hanged! I scudded down the beach as fast as my legs wouldcarry me. Alderson had been left alone at the cache and my heart was inmy throat. 

When I saw him strolling about with his hands in his pockets I couldhave shouted for joy if I had had the breath. For I had half expected tofind him dead. 

He came forward quickly to meet me. 

"A tug rounded the bend five minutes since and stopped at the yacht, Mr. Sedgwick, " he told me. 

I looked out into the bay. A boat was just leaving the _Argos_ for theshore. At the point where the sailors presently beached it I waswaiting. Blythe jumped out and splashed through the shallow water tomeet me. From the look on his face it was clear that something had gonewrong. 

Taking me by the arm he led me a few yards along the sand. 

"Bad news, Jack. "

"What is it?"

"Miss Wallace was waylaid and kidnaped four days ago while she and heraunt were driving. "

"How do you know?"

"Miss Berry sent Philips down in a tug to let us know. But that is notthe worst. The day before the kidnaping Bothwell escaped from prison. Itis thought that his guards were bribed. "

I saw in a flash the cause of the Slav's gloating triumph. Evelyn washis prisoner. He had her safely hidden somewhere in the mangrove swamps. 

We might dig the treasure up, but we would have to give him every centof it in ransom for her. That was his plan, and in it lay the elementsof success. For Blythe and Yeager, no more than I, would weigh goldagainst her safety. 

We knew Bothwell. His civilization was a veneer. Disappointed of thewealth he had come seeking, the man would revenge himself on the girlwho had stood in his way. I dared not think of the shame and degradationhe would make her suffer. 

I told Blythe of my meeting with Bothwell. 

My face must have been ashen, for Sam put a hand on my shoulder. 

"Keep a stiff upper lip, old chap. Bothwell won't hurt her until he ispushed to it. Before that time comes we'll take care of her. "

"That's easy saying. But how? That prince of devils has her back therein the swamps guarded by his ruffians. We don't know where they are. This very minute she may be---- My God, think of the danger she runs!"

Blythe shook his head. 

"She's safe till Bothwell gives the word. Not one of his fellows woulddare lift a hand against her. The captain would shoot him like a dog. "

"And Bothwell himself?"

"She's safe yet, Jack. He's playing for the treasure and to marry her, too. The man is not such a fool as to kill the goose that lays thegolden eggs. The hour of danger for her would be the one when he foundout that he had lost the treasure. "

"Let's give it to him. I'll go tell him he may have it all. "

"Easy, lad, easy. We must play our cards and not throw the hand down. Wemust get hold of the treasure before we can make terms. "

"And let Evelyn stay in his hands without making an effort to free her?"I demanded. 

"Did I say that, Jack?"

"What are you going to do, then?"

"As soon as night falls we'll send a boat up the river to find out wherehis camp is. We'll make a reconnaissance. "

"I'll go. "

"Don't you think somebody less impetuous would be better, Jack? We don'twant to spoil things by any premature attack. "

"I'm going, Sam. That's all there is to say about that. "

"All right. If you are, you are. But you'd better let me. "

"You may come along if you like. "

"No, if you go I'll have to stay by the ship against a possible attack. Tom will have charge of the party that watches the treasure. The deuceof it is that our force will be divided into three. I hope Bothwell doesnot take the occasion to make mischief. "

Within the hour the tug that had brought Philips steamed back down theharbor on the return trip to Panama. With it we sent Jimmie and thesteward. Dugan flatly declined to go, and since his wound was almosthealed the captain let him stay. 

This left us fourteen men, counting the former mutineers and the nativestokers. To go with me on my night expedition I chose Alderson andSmith. The guard for the treasure cache consisted of Yeager, Gallagher, Barbados and Stubbs. The rest were to remain with the ship. 

The tide was coming in when we pulled from the _Argos_ toward the mouthof the Tuyra. The wash of the waves made it unnecessary for us to takeany precautions to muffle the sound of our oars and the darkness of thenight made detection at any distance improbable. 

One difficulty we did encounter. For the first few hundred yards of ourjourney up the river we disturbed some of the numberless birds which hadsettled for the night on the trees close to the banks. The flapping oftheir wings gave notice of our approach as plainly as if a herald hadshouted it. 

We carried no light. The heavy tropical jungle growth on the mud flatswhich extended on both sides of the river helped to increase thedarkness. Our progress was slow, for we had to make sure that we did notslip past without noticing the schooner that had brought the piratesdown from Panama. 

The sound of voices on the water warned us that we were approaching theboat of which we were in search. Very cautiously, keeping close to thebushes along the shore, we drew near the schooner which began to takedim shape in the darkness. 

The tide was still strong, and it carried our boat across the bow of theschooner. The anchor chain was hanging and served to hold us in place, though with each lift of the tide I was afraid those on board would hearus grind against her side. Intermittently the voices came to us, thoughwe could make out no words. 

We were in a good deal of danger, for any minute one of the crew mightsaunter to the side of the vessel and look over. It was plain to me thatwe could not stay here. Either we must go forward or back. 

Now back I would not go without finding whether Evelyn was here, and totry to board the schooner in attack would be sheer madness. My mindcaught at a compromise. 

I whispered to Alderson directions, and when the jibboom of the schoonercame down with the next recession of a wave I swung myself to it bymeans of the chain, using the stays to brace my foot. 

Here I lay for a minute getting my bearings, while the sailors in theboat below backed quietly out of sight among the shore bushes thatoverhung the banks. 

So far as I could see the deck was deserted. Carefully I edged on to thebowsprit, crept along it, and let myself down gently to the deck. Icould see now that men were lying asleep at the other end of the vessel. 

One was standing with his back toward me beside the mizzen-mast. Fromhis clothes I guessed the watch to be a native. 

The voices that had come to us across the water still sounded, but morefaintly than before I had come on board. Evidently they were from below. 

Probably the speakers were in a cabin with the porthole open. I couldnot be sure, but it struck me that one of them was a woman. Myimpression was that she pleaded and that he threatened, for occasionallythe heavier voice was raised impatiently. 

From its scabbard I drew my revolver and crept forward in the shadow ofthe bulwarks. My life hung on a hair; so too did that of the watchmandrowsing by the mast. If he looked up and turned I was lost, and so washe. 

Foot by foot I stole toward the forecastle ladder, reached it, andnoiselessly passed down the stairs. 

I say noiselessly, yet I could hear my heart beat against my ribs as Idescended. For I knew now that the voices which came from behind theclosed door of the cabin to my right belonged to my sweetheart and toBoris Bothwell. 

"Not I, but you, " he was saying. "I'm hanged if I take theresponsibility. If you had trusted me we might have lifted the goldwithout the loss of a drop of blood. "

"You are so worthy of trust!" Evelyn's voice answered with bitterness. 

"Have you ever known me to break my word? But let that pass. You choseto reject my love and invite that meddler Sedgwick into our affairs. What is the result? What have you gained?"

"A knowledge of the difference between the love of a true man and thatof a false one, " she answered quietly. 

"A true man! Oh, call him a fool and be done with it. "

"Perhaps, but I could love such folly. "

He seemed to strangle his irritation in his throat. 

"A lot of good it will do! You belong to me. That is written in the bookof your life, and what is to be will be. And I'll get the treasure, too. "

"Never! You call them fools, but they have outwitted you from start tofinish. "

"They've pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for me, if that is whatyou mean. "

"And as for me, I'm only a girl, but I swear before Heaven I'd rathersink a knife into my heart than give myself to you. "

He clapped his hands ironically with a deep laugh like the bay of awolf. 

"Bravo! Well done! You'd make a fortune in tragedy, Evie. But dramaticsapart, you may make up your mind to it. I'm your master, and beforetwenty-four hours shall be your mate. Why else have I brought thisbroken wretch of a priest along, but to tie the knot in legal fashion?I'm a reasonable man. Since you have a taste for the conventional anddecorum you shall have them. But priest or no priest, willy nilly, mineyou are and shall be. "

"You think everybody is a fool but yourself. Can't I see why you wantthe marriage? It's not to please me, but through me to give you a legalclaim on the treasure. "

"Why do you always stir up the devil in me? I love you. I want to pleaseyou. I'll treat you right if you'll let me. "

"Then send me back to the yacht, Boris. I'll give my word to divide thetreasure with you. My friends will do as I say. You don't want to breakmy heart, do you? Think of all the dreadful murder that has been done byyou. "

"Not by me, but by you and your friends. I offered to compromise andyou would not. Now it is too late. No, by God! I'll play the game out toa fighting finish. "

She gave a sobbing little cry. 

"Have you no heart?"

His voice fell a note. He moved close to her. 

"_Cherie_, you have stolen it and hold it fast in this little palm Ikiss!"

By the sounds from within she must have struggled in vain. I toldmyself:

"Not yet, not yet!"

"In such fashion my ancestor Bothwell wooed Mary Queen of Scots. Fainshe would, but dare not. She knew he was a man and a lover out of tenthousand, and though her heart beat fast for him she was afraid. Shefled, and he followed. For he was a lover not to be denied, though aking must die to clear the road. So it is with Boris, my queen. "

"You mean----?"

The catch in her voice told me she breathed fast. 

He laughed, with that soft boisterousness that marked his merriment. 

"Your mad Irishman is no king, but he has crossed my path enough. Nexttime he dies. "

"Because he has tried to serve me!"

"Because he is in my way. Reason enough for me. "

The door knob was in my hand. All I had to do was to open it and shootthe man dead. But what after that? His men would swarm down and murderme before the eyes of my love. And she would be left alone with a packof wolves which had already tasted blood. 

It was the hardest ordeal of my life to keep quiet while the fellowpressed his hateful suit, pushed it with the passionate ardor of theSlav, regardless of her tears, her despair, and her helplessness. 

For an hour--to make a guess at the time--she fought with all theweapons a woman has at command, fending him off as best she could withtears and sighs and entreaties. 

Then I heard a man stumbling down the ladder and moved aside. If heshould turn my way I was a dead man, for he must come plump against me. He knocked on the door of the cabin. 

Bothwell opened and whispered with him a moment, then excused himself tohis cousin, locked the door, and followed the sailor up to the deck. 

I unlocked the door softly and walked into the cabin. By the dim lightof a hanging lantern I made out a rough room furnished only with twobunks, one above the other, a deal table, and two cheap chairs. 

Evelyn had not heard me enter. She was standing with her back to me, leaning against the woodwork of the bed, her face buried in one arm. Despair and weariness showed in every line of the slight, droopingfigure. 

She must have heard me as I moved. She turned, the deep shadowy eyesgleaming with fear. Never have I seen the soul's terror more vividlyflung to the surface. 

I suppose that for a moment she could not believe that it was I, and notBothwell. Perhaps she thought the ghost of me had come to say farewellto her. 

She stared at me out of a face from which the color was gone, the greateyes dilating as the truth came home to her. From her throat broke astartled, stifled little cry. 

"You!"

I took her in my arms and her tired body came to me. The sensitive mouthtrembled, the eyes closed, a shiver of relief passed through her. Sheclung to me as a frightened child does to its mother, burying her softcheeks on my shoulder. 

Then came sobs. The figure of my love rocked. The horror of what she hadbeen through engulfed her as she told me her story in broken words, inconvulsive shivers, in silence so poignant that they stabbed my heartlike a needle. 

It was such a tale as no girl should have to tell, least of all to theman she loves. But I had come in time--I had come in time. The knowledgeof that warmed me like champagne. 

I whispered love to her as I kissed in a passion of tenderness thegolden hair, the convolutions of the pink ears, the shadows beneath thesad, tired eyes. 

"Tell me, how did you come?" she begged. 

I told her, in the fewest possible words, for it might be that our timewas brief. Briefly I outlined a plan for her rescue. 

I would send Alderson and Smith back for aid and would hide somewhere inthe vessel during their absence, to be ready in case she needed help. 

When Blythe arrived I would join her and barricade the cabin to protecther until our friends had won the ship. 

"But if he should find you before----"

I said then what any man with the red blood of youth still runningstrong in his veins would say to the woman he loves when she is inperil. Let it cost me what it would I was going to free her from thesewolves. 

Her deep eyes, soft with love, aglow with an adorable trust, met minefor a long instant. 

"Do as you will, dear. But go now--before any one comes. And--God withus, Jack!"

Her arm slid round my neck, she drew my face down to hers, and kissed mewith a passion that I had not known was in her. 

"Remember, Jack--if I never see you again--no matter what happens--Ilove you, dearest, for ever and ever. "

She whispered it brokenly, then pushed me from her toward the door. 

The last glimpse I had of her she was standing there in the shadows, like a divine incarnation of love, her eyes raining upon me the softlight that is the sweetest glimpse of heaven given to a man in thisstorm-battered world. 

CHAPTER XXIV

A RAT IN A TRAP

I groped my way forward in the darkness till I came to a room used forstoring purposes. Well up near the beams was a porthole. Too high forme to reach, I presently found a large box which I upended cautiouslyuntil it lay beneath the port. Standing on this I could look throughinto the heavy foliage of the bushes projecting from the shore. 

Except for the lapping of the waves the night was very still. The moonrode low in the sky. A fan-shaped wedge of light silvered the inkyriver. 

I gave the signal agreed upon between me and my men, but no answeringflash of white replied to the wave of my handkerchief. Again I shook thepiece of linen from the porthole, and at intervals for fully fiveminutes. 

Did Alderson see me? Or was there a reason why he could not answer? Itwas impossible they could have been captured without some sound havingreached me. Nor was it more likely that they had deserted their post. 

The bushes stirred at last and the bow of a boat pushed through. Smithstood up so that his face was just below mine. His finger was on hislips. 

"Couldn't come any sooner, sir. Captain Bothwell was leaning over therail smoking a cigarette. I wonder he didn't see your handkerchief, " hewhispered. 

I gave him orders concisely and the men backed the boat till the busheshid them. For me there was nothing left to do but wait. How long itmight be before Blythe would get back with a rescue party I could nottell. The men in the boat would not dare to stir from their hiding-placeuntil the moon went under a cloud. 

The tide must now be at the full, so that it would be running out strongbefore they got started. This would carry them swiftly back to the bay. 

I found myself giving my friends two hours as a minimum before theycould return to me. At the worst they should be here within four, unlessmy messenger met with bad luck. 

But what about Bothwell? Would he force my hand before Blythe arrived? Ithought it very likely. There is something in the tropical air thatcalls to the passion of a man, and reduces his sense of law tillrestraint ebbs away. 

In Bothwell's case desire and interest went together. He was a criminalon more than one count, but the charges against him would in a measurefall to the ground if he could drive Evie to marry him. 

Once she was his wife the kidnaping charge would not stick, and even hisblack record on the _Argos_ could be made to appear the chivalry of ahigh-minded man saving the woman he loved from her enemies. 

Moreover, his claim to the treasure would then be a valid one. The manwas no fool. What he did must be done quickly. There lay before him onesafe road. Since that was the path he desired above all things tofollow, it was sure he would set out on it without delay. 

Her scruples had hitherto held him back, because it would be better sheshould come of her own accord to him. But these could not hold him manyhours longer. 

The masterful insistence of the man had told me that, but no moreplainly than his mounting passion. 

I sat down on the box and waited. In that dark, stuffy hole the heat wasintense. The odor of food decomposing in the moisture of the tropics didnot add to my comfort. 

Sitting in cushioned chairs in club rooms with a surfeit of comfortwithin reach, men have argued in my presence that there is no such thingas luck. Men win because of merit; they fail only if there is some lackin themselves. 

This is a pleasant gospel for those who have found success, but it doesnot happen to be true. Take my own case here. How could I foresee that abarefooted, half-naked black cook would come into the storeroom to get apan of rice for next day's dinner?

Or, as I lay crouched beside a box in the shadows beyond the dim circleillumined by his candle, how could I know whether it were best toannounce myself or lie still?

I submit that the part of wisdom was to let the fellow go in peace, andthis I did. 

But as he turned the light for an instant swept across me. He gave ashriek and flung away both the candle and the pan of rice, bolting forthe door. I called to him to stop. For answer he slammed the door--_andlocked it_. Nor did my calls stay the slap of his retreating feet. I wascaught fast as a rat in a trap. 

I certainly had spilt the fat into the fire this time. Inside of fiveminutes the passage outside was full of men. But during that time I hadbeen an active Irishman. In front of me and around me I had piled abarrier of boxes and barrels. 

"Who's in there?" Bothwell called. 

I fired through the door. Some one groaned. There was a sudden scurry ofretreating footsteps, followed by whisperings at the end of the passage. These became imperative, rose and fell abruptly, so that I judged therewas a division of counsel. 

Presently Bothwell raised his voice and spoke again. 

"We've got you, whoever you are. My friend, you'll have a sick time ofit if you don't surrender without any more trouble. Do you hear me?"

He waited for an answer, and got none. I had him guessing, for it wasimpossible to know how many of us might be there. Moreover, there was achance of working upon the superstition of the natives among the crew. The cook had very likely reported that he had seen a ghost. 

Except a shot out of the darkness no sound had come from me since. Solong as I kept silent the terror of the mystery would remain. Was I manor devil? What was it spitting death at them from the black room?

"We're going to batter that door down, " went on Bothwell, "and thenwe're going to make you wish you'd never been born. "

The voices fell again to a whispered murmur. Soon there would be a rushand the door would be torn from its hinges. I made up my mind to getBothwell if I could before the end. 

Above the mutterings came clearly a frightened soprano. 

"What is it, Boris? What are you going to do?"

Evelyn had come out of her room to try to save me. 

"Just getting ready to massacre your friend, " her cousin answeredpromptly. 

"Mr. Sedgwick?"

Terror shook in the voice that died in her throat. 

Bothwell bayed deep laughter. 

"O-ho! My friend from Erin once more--for the last time. Come out andmeet your welcome, Sedgwick. "

"Suppose you come and take me, " I suggested. 

"By God, I will! Back with you into that room, girl. "

A door slammed and a key turned. 

Still the rush did not come. I waited, nerves strung to the highestpitch. One could have counted sixty in the dead silence. 

I knew that some devilish plan had come to the man and that he wasworking out the details of it in his mind. 

"Say the word, Cap, " Fleming called to him impatiently. 

"Not just yet, my worthy George. We'll give the meddler an hour to sayhis prayers. But I'm all for action. Since it isn't to be a funeral justyet, what do you say to a marriage?"

"I don't take you. "

"H-m! Hold this passage for a few minutes, George. You'll see what you'llsee. "

A key turned in a lock. When I heard his voice again the man had steppedinside the cabin used by Evelyn. It lay just back of the storeroom andthe portholes of the two rooms were not six feet apart. Every word thatwas said came clearly to me. 

"So you thought you'd trick me, my dear--thought you'd play a smoothtrick on your trusting cousin. Fie, Evie!"

"What are you going to do to Mr. Sedgwick?" she demanded. 

"There's been some smooth work somewhere. I grant you that. How thedevil did he get aboard here? He didn't come alone. If he did, what hasbecome of the boat? Speak up, _m'amie_. "

"Do you think I'd tell you even if I knew?" she asked scornfully. 

He laughed softly, with diabolical enjoyment. 

"I think you would--and will. I have ways to force open closed mouths, beloved. "

"You would--torture me?"

"If it were necessary, " he admitted coolly. 

She answered in a blaze of defiance. 

"Get out your iron cubes for my fingers, you black-hearted villain!"

"Not for your soft fingers, _ma cherie_. I kiss them one by one as alover should. Shall we say for your friend's fingers? If you won't talk, perhaps he will. "

"Are you all tiger, Boris? Isn't there somewhere in your heart a sparkof manhood?" she sobbed, her spirit melted at my danger. 

"Rhetorical questions, Evie. Shall we come to business? How did yoursoon-to-be-deceased lover come on board? Who brought him? What were hisplans?"

"If I tell you, will you spare him?" she begged. 

"I'll promise this, " he assured her maliciously. "If you don't tell I'llnot spare him. "

She told all she knew except my plan of rescue. As soon as she mentionedthe boat in which I had come the fellow hurried up on deck to interceptit. 

I could hear a boat scraping against the side of the schooner as it wasbeing lowered. Fleming and two others got in and paddled back and forthamong the bushes. They found nothing. 

My friends had managed to slip away unseen and were headed for the_Argos_. You may believe that I wished them a safe and speedy voyage. 

Bothwell came down the forecastle ladder swearing. He went straight toEvelyn. Before he opened the door he was all suavity once more. 

"They've got away this time. Just as well perhaps. We'll be able toconcentrate our attention on the wedding festivities. Can you be readyin half an hour, dear heart?"

"Ready for what?" The words choked in her throat. 

"To make your lover a happy man. This is our wedding night, my dear. "

"Never! I'd rather lie at the bottom of the bay. I wouldn't marry you tosave my life. "

"H-m! You exaggerate, as is the manner of your charming sex. Now I'llwager that you'd marry me to save--why, to save even that meddlingIrishman who is listening to our talk. "

She strangled a little cry of despair. 

"Why do you hate him so? Is it because he is so much better and braverthan you?"

"I don't hate him. He annoys me. So I step on him, just as I do on thisspider. "

"Don't, Boris. I'll give you all my share of the treasure. I'll forgiveyou everything you've done. I'll see that you're not prosecuted. Bemerciful for once. "

"Don't get hysterical, Evie. Sedgwick understands he has got to pay. Hetook a fighting chance and he has lost. It's all in the game. " Thevillain must have looked at his watch, and then yawned. "Past 10:30. Excuse me for a half hour while I settle your friend's hash. AfterwardI'll be back with the priest. "

"No--no! I won't have it. Boris, if you ever loved me--Oh, God inheaven, help me now!"

I think that in her wild despair she had flung herself on her knees infront of him. Her voice shook, broke almost into a scream. 

"Are these--dramatics--for yourself or for him?" Bothwell asked with asneer. 

"Don't kill him! Don't! I'll do whatever you say. "

"Will you marry me--at once--to-night?"

I spoke up from the porthole where I was listening. 

"No, she won't, you scoundrel! As for me, I'd advise you to catch yourhare before you cook it. "

"I'm on my way to catch it now, dear Sedgwick, just as soon as I breakaway from the lady, " he called back insolently. 

"I'll--marry you. " The words came from a parched throat. 

"To-night, " he demanded. 

"Not to-night, " she begged. "When we get back to Panama. "

"No. I'm not going to give you a chance to welch. Now--here--on thisschooner. "

"Not to-night. I'm so--weary and--unstrung. I'll do whatever you say, but--give me time to--to--Oh, I'm afraid!"

"Bothwell, you cur, come in here and you and I will see this out to afinish!" I cried in helpless fury. 

"Presently, my dear Sedgwick. I'll be there soon enough, and that's apromise. But ladies first. You wouldn't have me delay my wedding, wouldyou?"

I flung myself against the door repeatedly and tried to beat it down, but my rage was useless. The lock and the hinges held. Back I went to myporthole. 

"Evelyn, are you there?"

"Yes, " came the answer in a choked voice. 

"Don't do it. What are you thinking of? I'd rather die a hundred deathsthan have you marry him. "

"I must, Jack. If you should be killed--and I could have preventedit---- Oh, don't you see I must?"

The words were wrung from her in a cry, as if she had been a torturedchild. 

"Of course she must. But why make a tragedy of it? By Heaven, you woundmy vanity between the pair of you. Am I not straight--as good a man asmy neighbor--still young? Come, let us make an end of theheavy-villain-and-hero business. You, my dear Sedgwick, shall stand upand give the bride away. That is to say, you shall stand at yourporthole. You'll find rice in a sack to scatter if you will. We want youto enjoy yourself. Don't we, Evie?" Bothwell jeered blithely. 

"You devil from hell!"

"Pooh! Be reasonable, man. We can't both marry the maid, and by yourleave I think the best man wins. Abrupt I may be, but every _Katherine_is the better for her _Petruchio_. " He turned to her, dropping his ironyfor tones of curt command. "I'll be back in twenty minutes with theparson. Be ready then. "

With that he turned on his heel and left, locking the door behind him. 

CHAPTER XXV

A RESCUE

Even now when it is only a memory I do not like to look back upon thattwenty minutes. My poor girl was hysterical, but decided. Neitherargument nor entreaty could move her from her resolution to save mylife, no matter what the cost. I pleaded in vain. 

"I can't let you die, Jack--I can't--I can't. " So she answered all myappeals, with a kind of hopeless despair that went straight to my heart. 

Through my remonstrances there broke a high-pitched voice jabberingsomething in Spanish of a sort. The sound of running footsteps on thedeck above came to us. Some one called a warning. 

"Keep back there or we'll fire!"

Then my heart leaped, for across the water came the cool, steady voiceof Blythe. 

"My man, I want to talk with Bothwell. "

More feet pattered back and forth on the deck, and among the hurryingsteps was one sharp and strong. 

"Good evening, Captain Blythe. You're rather late for a call, aren'tyou? Mr. Sedgwick was in better time. We have to thank him for an hour'spleasant entertainment. "

I recognized the voice as belonging to Bothwell. 

"If you've hurt a hair of his head I'll hold you personally to account. Unless you want me to board your schooner you will at once release Mr. Sedgwick and Miss Wallace. "

"Miss Wallace has practically ceased to exist, " the Russian drawled. 

"What do you mean?"

"I shall have the honor to send you cards, captain. Miss Wallace hasbecome my wife. "

I stuck my head out of the porthole and shouted. "That's a lie, Sam. You're just in time to save her. "

"Are you a prisoner, Jack?"

"Yes. So is she. In the next cabin. " Some one stepped quickly across thedeck and leaned over the rail above me. Bothwell's dark face looked downinto mine. He leveled a revolver at my head and fired just as I drewback. 

That shot served as a signal for the attack. Bullets sang back andforth, some from the schooner, others from the boats of my friends. 

As for the battle, I saw from my porthole only the edge of it, and thatbut for a few moments as a boat full of men swept forward. Someone wasfiring with a rifle, while the others put their backs to the oars. 

Presently the boat swept round the bow of the schooner and was lost tomy view. But I could hear the firing of guns, the trampling of menabove, and from their words could tell that the attackers were keepingtheir distance, even though they were firing pretty steadily from thecover of the shore bushes. 

I must confess that Blythe's method of attack surprised me. How many menBothwell had I did not know, but it was plain to me that the only way totake the ship was to rush it. We might fire at long distance for a weekwithout doing more than keep them busy. 

That I was wild to be free and in the thick of it may be guessed. Knowing as I did how matters stood between Evelyn and her cousin, I sawthat she must be rescued at once to prevent the unholy marriage the Slavplanned. 

Strange that Sam could not see this and that he had not led a moredashing attempt at succoring the girl. 

Three taps on the door of my prison jerked me round as if I had beenpulled by a string. My revolver was in my hand. The door opened slowlyand let in a man. 

"That's far enough. What do you want?" I asked brusquely. 

"S-sh! It's me, Mr. Sedgwick. Are you in irons?"

It was Gallagher. If I had been a Frenchman I would have kissed his uglyold mug for the sheer pleasure of seeing it. I knew now that Blythe hadkept up the long distance fusillade in order to distract the attentionof the defenders while Gallagher had crept close from the shore side. 

I ran forward. 

"Where is your boat?"

"Hidden in the bushes. Alderson is with it. Where is the lady, sir?"

In another minute Evelyn was free and standing with us in the passage. Inoticed that the fire of the attackers had grown more rapid. The soundseemed closer. The demonstration was taking on the appearance of a realboarding expedition. 

We climbed the forecastle ladder. I led the way, revolver in hand. Fromwhere I stood, a few steps from the top of the ladder, my eyes couldsweep the forward deck. 

Bothwell, the Flemings, and perhaps half a dozen dark-skinned sailorswere crouching behind the bulwarks, raising their heads above the railonly to shoot. 

A constant crackling of small arms filled the air. The boats had creptnearer and were pouring a very steady fire upon the defenders. 

The forward movement was only a diversion under cover of which we mighthave a chance to escape, but it was being executed with so muchbriskness and spirit that Bothwell could not guess its harmless nature. 

At my signal the sailor led Evelyn quickly toward the poop. With my eyesover my left shoulder I followed at their heels. We had all but reachedthe stern when I heard the smack of a fist and turned in time to see aPanama peon hit the deck full length. 

He had been hurrying forward and had caught sight of us. His mouth wasopen to shout an alarm at the time the Irishman's fist had landedagainst the double row of shining teeth. 

The fellow rolled over and was up like an acrobat. But my revolver, pointing straight at his stomach, steadied him in an instant. 

"Don't move or shout, " I warned. 

From the bushes Alderson had been waiting for us and his boat was inplace. He flung up a rope ladder with grappling hooks on the end. Gallagher fixed them to the rail and helped Evelyn down. 

"You next, " I ordered. 

"Yes, sir. "

"Your turn now, Sambo, " I told the peon after the sailor had gone. 

The fellow rolled his eyes wildly toward the stem of the vessel butfound no hope from that quarter. He clambered over the rail like amonkey and went down hand after hand. I followed him. 

We were huddled promiscuously in the little boat so that it rocked tothe very lip. For a half a minute I was afraid we were going down, but ashift in position by Gallagher steadied the shell. 

Meanwhile Alderson had thrown his muscles into the oars and we drew awaysteadily; fifty strokes, and the shadows had swallowed us. 

Alderson pulled across the river and let the boat drift down theopposite bank. The outgoing tide carried us swiftly. We slipped past theschooner unobserved. Gallagher blew twice on a whistle and the two boatscommanded by Blythe and Yeager at once drew back into safety. 

Some three hundred yards farther down stream they caught up with us. 

"All right, Jack?" Blythe called across to me. 

"All right, Sam. "

"Miss Wallace is with you, of course?"

"Yes, and one other passenger who nearly swamped us. Can you take ourprisoner?"

His boat pulled up beside us and relieved us of one very frightenedPanama peon. We were very glad to be rid of him, for a dozen times thewaves had nearly swamped our overloaded skiff and I had been bailingevery second. 

A few minutes later we reached the _Argos_. 

From Blythe I learned that Gallagher had been responsible for the planby means of which he had rescued us. Moreover, he had insisted on takingthe stellar rôle in carrying it out, dangerous as the part had been. Itwas his way of wiping out his share in the mutiny. 

CHAPTER XXVI

THE LAST BRUSH

We resumed next morning the digging for the treasure. The shore partywas made up of Blythe, Yeager, Smith, Higgins and Barbados. 

Those of us left on board had a lazy time of it. I arranged watches oftwo to guard against any surprise on the part of the enemy either by anattack upon the yacht or by a sally along the shore upon the treasurediggers. 

Having divided my men into watches, I discharged my mind ofresponsibility. Evelyn and I had a thousand things to tell each other. We sat on the upper deck under the tarpaulin and forgot everythingexcept that we were lovers reunited after dreadful peril. 

Youth is resilient. One would scarce have believed that this girlbubbling over with life and spirits was the same one who had been insuch hopeless despair a few hours earlier. 

A night's good sleep had set her up wonderfully. 

Last night I had looked into tired eyes that had not yet fully escapedfrom the shadows of tragedy, into the sharp oval of a colorless facefrom which waves of storm had washed the life. 

This morning the sun shone for her. 

Courage had flowed back into her heart. Swift love ran now and againthrough her cheeks and tinted them. 

She was herself, golden and delicate, elastic and vivid as a capturednymph. 

"When I left the old _Argos_ I thought I never wanted to see the yachtagain, but now I think I could be happy here all my life, " she confided. 

"Wouldn't you prefer to have your cousin just a few miles farther away?"

She fell grave for a moment. 

"Do you think he'll try to do more mischief?"

"He'll try. That's a safe bet. But I think we have him checkmated. Bynight we ought to have the bulk of the treasure on board. Once we get itthe _Argos_ will show him her heels. "

Four bells sounded, six, eight. Dugan came down from the bridge toreport to me. 

"Captain Blythe's party coming down to the beach, sir. "

Two of the men were carrying a large chest. It was so heavy that everyforty or fifty yards relays relieved each other. The box was broughtdown to the edge of the water and loaded into a boat. Smith and Higginstook their places at the oars and Blythe stepped into the bow. 

The cargo seemed to call for tackle and ropes. I had them ready beforethe boat reached us. Blythe superintended the hoisting of the chest, arranging the ropes so as to make a slip impossible. We hauled it safelyaboard. 

"Have it taken to the strong room, Sam. There's another waiting for usashore, " Blythe explained. 

"Want me to go back for it?"

"No. Keep a sharp lookout for our friend up the river. "

He was pulled ashore again and returned two hours later with a secondchest, this time leaving Yeager and Barbados on guard at the cache. Gallagher and Alderson were sent ashore later to join Tom's party forthe night watch. 

A few more hours' work would be enough to lift the rest of the treasure. Already we had on board a fortune in doubloons and bars of gold, butthere was still one more chest to be unearthed. We felt that we werenear the end of our adventure and our spirits were high. 

Blythe got out his violin and Evie sang some of her plantation songs, her soft voice falling easily into the indolent negro dialect. 

My stunt was Irish stories. We dragooned the staid Morgan into playingthe piano while we ragged. 

It must have been close to midnight before we spoke of breaking up. 

Evelyn and I took a turn on the deck. Our excuse was to get a breath offresh air, but the truth is that we were always drifting together. 

Even in the company of others our eyes had a way of sending wirelessmessages of which we two only understood the code. 

We leaned against the rail and looked across the bay. It was a night ofragged clouds behind which the moon was screened. 

"Isn't that a boat over there?" Evie asked, pointing in the direction ofthe river mouth. 

The moon had peeped out and was flinging a slant of light over thewater. I looked for a long minute. 

"Yes. I believe it's Bothwell's schooner. He has slipped out unnoticed. The fellow must mean mischief. "

"Oh, I hope not, " said Evie, and she gave a little shiver. 

A sound came faintly over the water to us from the shore. 

"Did you hear that?" Evelyn turned to me, her face white in the shiningmoonbeam. 

A second pistol shot followed the first. 

"Trouble at the cache!"

I turned toward the pavilion and met Blythe. Already he was flinging acrisp order to the watch. 

"Lower a boat, Neidlinger. Smith will help you. That you, Higgins? Rouseall hands from sleep. We've work afoot. "

Again came a faint echo across the still waters, followed by two sharperexplosions. Some one had brought a rifle into action. 

Blythe turned to me. "It's my place to stand by the ship, Jack. This maybe a ruse to draw us off. I can spare you one man to go ashore and seewhat the trouble is. Take your pick. "

I chose Smith. 

"Keep a sharp lookout, Jack. He's wily as the devil, Bothwell is. Betternot land at the usual place. He may have an ambush planted. "

"All right, Sam. "

The Englishman turned to give Stubbs orders for arming the crew. 

In the darkness a groping little hand found mine. 

"Must you go, Jack? I--wish you would stay here. "

My arm slid around the shoulders of my girl. 

"It's up to me to go, honey. "

We were alone under the awning. Her soft arms went round my neck and herfingers laced themselves. 

"You'll be careful, won't you? It's all so horrible. I thought it wasall over, and now---- Oh, boy, I'm afraid!"

"Don't worry. Blythe will hold the ship. "

"Of course. It isn't that. It's _you_. I don't want you to go. Let Mr. Stubbs. "

I shook my head. 

"No, dear. That won't do. It's my place to go. But you needn't worry. The gods take care of lovers. I'll come back all right. "

Her interlaced fingers tightened behind my neck. 

"Don't be reckless, then. You're so foolhardy. I couldn't bear it if--ifanything happened to you. "

"Nothing will happen except that I shall come back to brag of ourvictory, " I smiled. 

"If I could be sure!" she cried softly. 

The sinister sound of shots had drifted to us as we talked. The boat wasby this time lowered and I knew I must be gone. Gently I unclasped theknotted fingers. 

"Must you go _already_?" She made no other protest, but slipped a plainband ring from her finger to my hand. "I want you to have something ofmine with you, so that----"

Her voice broke, but I knew she meant so that the gods of war might knowshe claimed ownership and send me back safe. For another instant she layon my heart, then offered me her lips and surrendered me to my duty. 

"Ready, Jack!" called Blythe cheerfully. 

I ran across the deck and joined the man in the skiff. We pushed off andbent to the stroke. As our oars gripped the water the sound of anotherfar, faint explosion drifted to us. 

We landed a couple of hundred yards to the right of the spit and draggedour little boat into some bushes close to the shore. 

I gave Smith instructions to stay where he was unless he heard thehooting of an owl. If the call came once he was to advance very quietly;if twice, as fast as he could cover the ground. 

The mosquitoes were a veritable plague. As I moved forward they swarmedaround me in a cloud. Unfortunately I had not taken the time to bringthe face netting with which we all equipped ourselves when going ashore. 

Before I had covered fifty yards I heard voices raised as in anger. Presently I made out the sharp, imperious tones of Bothwell and thedogged persistent ones of Henry Fleming. 

"I'll do as I please. Understand that, my man!" The words were snappedout with a steel edge to them. 

"No, by thunder, you won't! I don't care about the cattleman, butGallagher and Alderson were my shipmates. I'm no murderous pirate. "

"You'll hang for one, you fool, if you're not careful. Didn't Gallagherdesert to the enemy? Wasn't Alderson against us from start to finish?Didn't one of them give me this hole in my arm just now? They'll eitherjoin us or go to the sharks, " Bothwell announced curtly. 

From where I stood, perhaps forty yards north of the cache, I could makeout that my friends were prisoners. No doubt the pirate had taken themat advantage and forced a surrender. Of Barbados I could see no sign. Later I learned that he had taken to his heels at the first shot. 

Twice I gave the hoot of an owl. Falling clearly on the still night, theeffect of my signal was startling. 

"What was that, boss?" asked a Panamanian faintly. 

"An owl, you fool, " retorted Bothwell impatiently. "Come, I give you onemore chance, Gallagher. Will you join us and share the booty? Or shallI blow out your brains?"

Gallagher, from where he lay on the ground, spoke out firmly:

"I'll sail no more with murderous mutineers. "

"Bully for you, partner!" boomed the undaunted voice of the cattleman. 

"And you, Alderson?"

"I stand with my friends, Captain Bothwell. "

"The more fool you, for you'll be a long time dead. Stand back, Fleming. "

As I ran forward I let out a shout. 

Simultaneously a revolver cracked. 

Bothwell cursed furiously, for Henry Fleming had struck up the arm ofthe murderer. 

The Russian turned furiously on the engineer and fired point-blank athim. 

The bullet must have struck him somewhere, for the man gave a cry. 

Bothwell whirled upon me and fired twice as I raced across the moonlitsand. 

A flash of lightning seared my shoulder but did not stop me. 

"Ha! The meddler again! Stung you that time, my friend, " he shouted, andfired at me a third time. 

They were the last words he was ever to utter. One moment his dark, venomous face craned toward me above the smoke of his revolver, the nextit was slowly sinking to the ground in a contorted spasm of pain andrage. 

For George Fleming had avenged the attempt upon his brother's life witha shot in the back. 

Bothwell was dead almost before he reached the ground. 

For a moment we all stood in a dead silence, adjusting our minds to thechanged conditions. 

Then one of the natives gave a squeal of terror and turned to run. Quickas a flash the rest of them--I counted nine and may have missed one ortwo--were scuttling off at his heels. 

George Fleming stared at the body of his chief which lay so still on theground with the shining moon pouring its cold light on the white face. 

Then slowly his eyes came up to meet mine. 

In another moment he and his brother were crashing through the lushunderbrush to the beach. I judged from the rapidity with which Henrymoved that he could not be much hurt. From the opposite direction Smithcame running up. 

I dropped to my knees beside Yeager and cut the thongs that tied hishands. 

"Hurt?" I asked. 

"No, " he answered in deep disgust at himself. "I stumbled over a rootand hit my head against this tree right after the game opened. Gallagherand Alderson had to play it out alone. But Bothwell must have hadfourteen men with him. He got Gallagher in the leg and rushed Alderson. You dropped in right handy, Jack. "

"And not a minute too soon. By Jove! we ran it pretty fine this trip. Badly hurt, Gallagher?"

"No, sir. Hit in the thigh. "

I examined the wound as well as I could and found it not as bad as itmight have been. 

"A good clean flesh wound. You're in luck, Gallagher. The last two dayshave more than wiped out your week of mutiny. We're all deep in yourdebt. "

"Thank you, sir, " he said, flushing with pleasure. 

Here I may put it down that this was the last word Gallagher heard abouthis lapse from duty. He and the other reconstructed mutineers wereforgiven, their fault wiped completely off the slate. 

I sent Alderson down to the spit to signal the _Argos_ for a boat. Onepresently arrived with Stubbs and Higgins at the oars. The littlecockney was struck with awe at sight of the dead man. 

"My heye, Mr. Sedgwick, 'e's got 'is at larst and none too soon. 'Ow didyou do it?"

"I didn't do it. One of his friends did. "

"Well, 'e 'ad it comin' to 'im, sir. But I'll sye for him that 'e was aman as well as a devil. "

We helped Gallagher down to the boat and he and I were taken aboard. 

The wound in my shoulder was but a scratch. 

It was enough, however, to let me in for a share of the honors withGallagher. 

In truth I had done nothing but precipitate by my arrival the finaltragedy; but love, they say, is blind. 

It was impossible for me to persuade Evelyn that I had not been the heroof the occasion. 

She could appreciate the courage of the three men who had chosen deathrather than to join Bothwell in his nefarious plans, but she was caughtby the melodramatic entry I had made upon the stage. 

"You were one against fourteen, but that didn't stop you at all. Ofcourse the others were brave, but----"

"Sheer nonsense, my dear. Any one can shout 'Villain, avaunt!' andprance across the sand, but there wasn't any pleasant excitement aboutlooking Boris Bothwell in the eye and telling him to shoot and behanged. That took sheer, cold, unadulterated nerve, and my hat's off tothe three of them. "

She leaned toward me out of the shadow, and the light in her eyes waswonderful. 

With all the innocence of a Grecian nymph they held, too, the haunting, wistful pathos of eternal motherhood. 

She yearned over me, almost as if I had been the son of her dreams. 

"Boy, Jack, I'm glad it's over--so glad--so glad. I love you--and I'vebeen afraid for you. "

Desire of her, of the sweet brave spirit in its beautiful sheath ofyoung flesh, surged up in my blood irresistibly. 

I caught her to my heart and kissed the soft corn-silk hair, the deepmelting eyes, the ripe red lips. 

By Heaven, I had fought for her and had won her! She was the gift oflove, won in stark battle from the best fighter I had ever met. 

The mad Irish blood in me sang. 

After all I am not the son of a filibuster for nothing. 

CHAPTER XXVII

IN HARBOR

The morning found me as good as new except for a dull ache in myshoulder. I was up betimes for breakfast and ready for shore duty. 

Yet I was glad to accept Blythe's orders to stay on board as long as weremained in Darien Harbor. 

It was good to avoid the sun and the mosquitoes and the moist heat ofthe jungle, though I felt a little guilty at lying in a hammock on theshady side of the deck with Evelyn at my side, while my friends wereperspiring in the burning sand pits with shovel and pick. 

Fortunately, it was only a few hours before the last of the boxes buriedby Bucks was uncovered. Jamaica Ginger's hatchet found it a good fiftyyards from the others. Within an hour it had been dragged out of thedirt and brought aboard. 

We sailed the same afternoon about twelve hours later than the schooner, which had quietly slipped past us on its way to the sea in the faintlight of early dawn. 

That Fleming had given up the attempt to win the treasure was plain. Idoubt whether his men would have followed him even if he had wished it, for he had not the dominant temper of his chief. 

We dropped anchor under the lee of a little island in the Boco Chico, but our engines were throbbing again by break of day. As we puffedacross the North Bay we passed the schooner almost within a stone'sthrow. 

Henry Fleming was on deck, and half a dozen of the blacks and browns whomade up the crew swarmed to the side of the vessel to see us. Blythe hadmade quiet preparations in case any attempt at stopping us should bemade, but apparently nothing was farther from the thoughts of the enemy. 

In fact several of the dusky deck hands waved us a friendly greeting aswe drove swiftly past. From that day to this I have never seen anymember of that crew, though a letter received last week fromGallagher--who is doing well in the cattle business in theArgentine--mentioned that he had run across Henry Fleming at BuenosAyres. 

Out of the Gulf of San Miguel we pushed past Brava Point as fast asStubbs could send the _Argos_. The lights of Panama called to us. Theystood for law and civilization and the blessed dominance of the oldstars and stripes. 

We were in a hurry to get back to the broad piazzas of its hotels, wherewomen at their ease did fancy work and played bridge while laughingchildren romped without fear. 

Adventure is all very well, but I have discovered that one can get asurfeit of it. 

Before the division of the treasure there arose a point of moralitythat, oddly enough, had not been considered before. It was born of mylegal conscience and for a few minutes was disturbing. 

Tom and I were in Blythe's cabin with him discussing an equitabledivision of the spoils. Into my mind popped the consideration that wewere not the owners of it all but certain remote parties in Peru. 

After having fought for it and won it the treasure was not ours. Thething hit me like a blow in the face. I spoke my thought aloud. Samlooked blankly at me. 

Yeager laughed grimly. There was a good deal of the primitive man stillin the Arizonian. 

"If they want it let them come and take it. I reckon finding iskeeping. "

But I knew the matter could not be settled so easily as that. A moralquestion had arisen and it had to be faced. Evelyn was called intocounsel. 

She had an instant solution of the difficulty. 

"We can't return it even if we want to. The town of Cerro Blanco and theneighboring mines were destroyed by an earthquake in 1819. Not a soul atthe mines escaped and only a few peasants from the town. You will findthe whole story in Vanbrough's 'Great Earthquakes. '"

"Then, after all, we are the rightful owners. "

"I'm afraid we are, " she smiled. 

Blythe, already as wealthy as he cared to be, declined to accept anyshare of our spoils beyond the expenses of the cruise. Each of thesailors received a good-sized lump sum, as did also Philips and Morgan. 

Rather against the wishes of our captain the three former mutineersshared with the rest of the crew. We did not of course forget therelatives of the men who had fallen in our defense. 

The boatswain Caine left a widow and two children. We put her upon apension until she married a grocer two years later. 

We were never able to hear that she thought the loss of husband numberone anything but a good riddance. 

Jimmie's share went into a fund, which is being managed by Yeager and meas trustees. It is enough to keep him and his mother while the boy isbeing educated and to leave a small nest-egg in addition. 

Yeager, of course, put his profits into cattle. Since Evelyn and I movedto Los Angeles we see a good deal of Tom and his wife. At least onceduring the winter we run across to his Arizona ranch for a week or two. His boy is just old enough to give his name proudly with a lisp as "ThamBlythe Yeager. "

Ours is a girl. She has the golden hair and the sparkling spirit of hermother. 

 * * * * *

N. B. --The autocrat of the household has just read the last line as sheleans over my shoulder. She will give me no peace till I add that thebaby has the blue, Irish eyes of her dad. 

THE END

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Of this book (founded on the play by ROBERT HOBART DAVIS), _The Portland(Oregon) Journal_ said: "Nothing more powerful has recently been putbetween the covers of a book. " 12mo, cloth. Illustrated. 50 cents. 

THE SPENDTHRIFT

_The Logansport (Ind. ) Journal:_ "A tense story, founded on PORTEREMERSON BROWNE'S play, is full of tremendous situations, and preaches agreat sermon. " 12mo, cloth bound, with six illustrations from scenes inthe play. 50 cents. 

IN OLD KENTUCKY

Based upon CHARLES T. DAZEY'S well-known play, which has been listenedto with thrilling interest by over seven million people. "A new andpowerful novel, fascinating in its rapid action. Its touching story istold more elaborately and even more absorbingly than it was upon thestage. "--_Nashville American. _ 12mo, cloth. Illustrated. 50 cents. 

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By ARTHUR HORNBLOW

THE TALKER Just Issued

An impeachment of the attitude of many women with regard to thesacredness of the marriage tie--From the play ofMARION FAIRFAX. 

A poignantly affecting story, deeply arresting in its significance. 

KINDLING 4th Large Edition

A story of mother-love in the tenements--From the Play ofCHARLES KENYON. 

"A dramatic and interesting story from the powerful and unusualplay. "--_Buffalo Express. _

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR 5th Large Edition

A tremendous arraignment of the mercenary marriage--From the play ofGEORGE BROADHURST. 

"The story is intensely human in its serious side and delightfullyamusing in its lighterphases. "--_Boston Globe. _

THE GAMBLERS 85th Thousand

A dramatic story of American life, from the wonderful play of CharlesKlein. 

"A powerful indictment of the methods of modernfinance. "--_Philadelphia Press. _

THE EASIEST WAY 6th Large Edition

A vivid story of metropolitan life from Eugene Walter's thrilling play. 

"The easiest way is in reality the hardest way. "--_Boston Times. _

JOHN MARSH'S MILLIONS 6th Large Edition, The struggle of a young girl, heiress to millions. 

"Has many thrilling dramatic situations. "--_St. Louis Post-Dispatch. _

THE THIRD DEGREE 70th Thousand

A brilliant novelization of Charles Klein's great play. 

"A strongly-painted picture of certain conditions in the administrationof law and justice. "--_Philadelphia Record. _

BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST 100th Thousand

A thrilling story of shipwreck upon a deserted island. 

"A sensational situation handled with delicacy and rigor. "--_BostonTranscript. _

THE END OF THE GAME 75th Thousand

A love story dealing with the perils of great wealth. 

"A thoroughly wholesome book, with action in the drama and real humaninterest. "--_Literary Digest. _

THE PROFLIGATE 60th Thousand

A thrilling story of love, mystery and adventure. 

"The moral tone of the story is excellent. "--_Baltimore Sun. _

THE LION AND THE MOUSE 200th Thousand

A brilliant novelization of Charles Klein's wonderful play. 

"As fascinating as Mr. Klein's play. "--_Boston Transcript. _