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suggesting to Skipper Simms the danger of Theriere being recognized as they

were boarding the Lotus and bringing suspicion upon them all immediately.

They all knew that a pleasure yacht like the Lotus was well supplied with small

arms, and that at the first intimation of danger there would be plenty of men

aboard to repel assault, and, in all probability, with entire success.

That there were excellent grounds for Theriere's belief that he could win Barbara

Harding's hand with such a flying start as his daring plan would have assured

him may not be questioned, for the man was cultivated, polished and, in a

sinister way, good-looking. The title that he had borne upon the occasion of his

visit to the yacht, was, all unknown to his accomplices, his by right of birth, so

that there was nothing other than a long-dead scandal in the French Navy that

might have proved a bar to an affiance such as he dreamed of. And now to be

thwarted at the last moment! It was unendurable. That pig of a Ward had sealed

his own death warrant, of that Theriere was convinced.

The boats were now quite close to the yacht, which had slowed down almost to a

dead stop. In answer to the query of the Lotus' captain Skipper Simms was

explaining their trouble.

"I'm Captain Jones," he shouted, "of the brigantine Clarinda, Frisco to Yokohama

with dynamite. We disabled our rudder yesterday, an' this afternoon fire started

in the hold. It's makin' headway fast now, an'll reach the dynamite most any time.

You'd better take us aboard, an' get away from here as quick as you can. 'Tain't

safe nowhere within five hun'erd fathom of her."

You'd better make haste, Captain, hadn't you?" suggested Mr. Harding.

I don't like the looks of things, sir," replied that officer. "She ain't flyin' any

dynamite flag, an' if she was an' had a hold full there wouldn't be any particular

danger to us, an' anyone that has ever shipped dynamite would know it, or ought

to. It's not fire that detonates dynamite, it's concussion. No sir, Mr. Harding,

there's something queer here--I don't like the looks of it. Why just take a good

look at the faces of those men. Did you ever see such an ugly-looking pack of

unhung murderers in your life, sir?"

"I must admit that they're not an overly prepossessing crowd, Norris," replied Mr.

Harding. "But it's not always either fair or safe to judge strangers entirely by

appearances. I'm afraid that there's nothing else for it in the name of common

humanity than to take them aboard, Norris. I'm sure your fears are entirely

groundless."

Then it's your orders, sir, to take them aboard?" asked Captain Norris.

The Mucker