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JW‘ . v0 [1e . .. vâ€" , by “lung 3 . . cab-duvet was bewailing the I followed the shppex'a [his “0‘3”.” mg“ of his voiturette. fixed his ,éyes on the' 79- H 1“ 13 wt}, 53:? righted the carriage; then in calculation. Royst atybody “:6 ma . the man to a sitting position. wise to hold his £93.», 0509 and ' menfii to his stertorous bréatho self With “081,138 m1 5;: Th? blow had been delivered on aid flifiBMfi? "131 “nae known to boxers 'iiKerber to mm .-- st 8350 s and read tnSIVC .nd com- he heads nation to ‘l‘fl kgmmr l The carriage drew nearer, and be- : came dimly visibleâ€"it was one of the tiny voiturettes peculiar to French towns. Suddenly the listeners heard a. shout. The horse’s feet ceased» their regular beat on the roadway. Royson began to run, but Tagg vociferated: “Wait for me, you long ijiot! If you turn up alone they’ll knife you before you can say “Jack Robinson,” Dick had no intention of saying “Jack Robinson,” but he moderated his pace, and helped Tagg over the ground by grasping his arm. They soon saw that two men had pulled the driVer off the box, and were holding him downâ€"indeed, tying him hand and foot. Royson prevented the suc- cess of this operation by a. running kick and an upper cut which placed 33011, breathing heavily, and seem- {118137 in pain, came to him and-Bald. “l the low tone of one who does 110‘ '18h to be overheard: . “L“ Four prisoner go, Mr. K1118. I}!!! all right, and everlastingly ob- ; d to you, but I do notwish to be delained in Marseilles while the 8191!? French law gets to work. So let Inn) 80. He is nothingâ€"a mere hirehng. ’99? And we sail toâ€"morrow.” CHAPTER IV. " Von Kerber Explains. V . Y{five left your trademark or: 3 F 3P,” broke in Tagg. He was bending over a prostrate body’ 811‘] the past two days by some such brief comment. Thus did he steer clear of ctht-I‘SIIIional rocks. v‘:.alxi” sai-d Royson admiringly. He had found safety many times during .» “Better mind our own business,” i said Tagg, but he did not protest further, and the two halted in the gloom of a huge warehouse. There was nothing visible along the straight vista of the road, but, after a few seconds’ silence, they heard the clatter and rumble of a vehicle cross- ing a distant drawbridge. "Some skipper comin’ to his ship,” muttered Tagg. “It can’t be ours. By George, if those chaps tackled him may would be sorry for themselves.” “Captain Stump is a good man in 9. W, I take it?” “Good isn‘t the word. He’s a terror. I’ve seen him get six of his men out of a San Francisco crimp’s house, an’ 1 s'pose you ’aven’t bin to sea. with- out knowing wot that means.” There Straight a few 38 clatter a "Better mind said Tagg, but further, and th‘ gloom Of 3 huge A.‘ “‘61. E This Story is Controlled ExtIusl'vely by Theft-‘3‘ m 4 gwewwwwwwwwmwm was Tag-'5’ = MN comment the " pOint, ” while its scientific sequel They had the air of expecting some- is the “knock-out. ” M} Di. 1 you think that? What do "He is all right, ” was the cool ver- vou 5.“ 15 w wait in the shadow a dict. He will wake up soon and feel ., rather sick. The general effect will be ind our own business,” excellent In future he will have but he did not protest a wholesome respect for Britishsail- .8“. mlnut: '5 .’ ‘Bc.L€I II] mm Tagg. your trademark on ‘ ms glass agau ,e in Tagg. He was ledly, apparent} prostrate body, and pagzie was so was bewailing the' FEBRUARY» L4gb. 9'99: - “Have we wimmen aboard this trip?” growled Stump in a deep rum- ble of disapproval. “Ladies, yes. Two, and a maid.” Stump bore round on the chief. “Wot did I tell ye, Tagg?” he de- mended fiercely. Didn’t I say that them fixins aft meant no good?” “You did,” agreed Tagg, with eqnal asperity. Von Kerber caught the laughter in Dick’s eyes, and checked the angry protest ready to bubble forth. “The two ladies,” he said, speaking with an emphasis which strove to cloak his annoyance at Stump’s off- handed manner, “are Miss Fenshawe. ‘granddaughter of the gentleman who owns this yacht, and her companion. ‘Mrs. Haxton. Without their presence this trip would not have been under taken, and that fact had better be re-; cognizcd at the outset. But now, gent: lemen, I have 'come on ahead to have‘ a quiet talk with you. Captain Stump knows our destination, but none 01 you is aware of the obiect of. our _vov- age. I pmpose to take you full? in“ my confidence in that respect. By this time ym m. e become more 0: less acq minted vith the'crew, nudge you'thini any of the men are unatt- able, ”we must get rid of them stance ff , He paused, "and looked at Stunip. ThatWheamed navigator emptied wise to hold his togue, connemeu nun self with closmg tye medicine chest. r't‘l- I..- “41;“ “You see,’ purred the Baron affably. refilling the glasses which Stump and Tagg had emptied at a gulp, "ladies. especially young ones, are apt to be nervous.” _ The Baron, after a. slight hesitancy. made his wishes clear. Mr. Fenshawe and his party would arrive at Marseil- les by the train de luxe next morning. and preparations must be made for instant departure as soon as they came on board. They would be alarm- ed needlessly if told of the fray on the quay, so it was advisable that nothing should be said about it. “Ah, yes, of course. Well, that 'is between you and me. .Will you ask Captain Stump and Mr. Tagg to join us in a bottle of wine? I would pu_t matters in my own way, yes?” “No. I don’t suppose he would un derstand the word in English, where as you spoke French.” “I think not.” .“And he would not understand about theâ€"erâ€"document?” “The papyrus,” suggested Royson “Yes.” “Tagg must have given the captain full details already.” said Dick. .. “But did he hear that name. Alfieri?” This was done. Five minutes later the first and second oficers of the Aphrodite assisted their employer up the yacht’s gangway. Leaving Tagg to explain to Stump what had happen- ed, Royson took von Kerber to his cabin, and helped to remove his outer clothing. A superficial wound on the neck, and a somewhat deeper cut on the forearm, were the only injuries; the contents of a medicine chest, ap- plied under von Kerbcr’s directions. soon staunched the flow of blood. “I do not wish anything to be said about this afiair.” began the Baron. when Royson would have left him. on the road again, pocketed the revol- ver, which he found close at hand, and gave an ear to von Kerher’s settlement with the cocher. The latter was now volubly indignant in the assessment of damages to his vehicle, hoping to obtain a louis as compensation. When he was given a hundred francs his |gratitude became almost incoherent. ' He laid the almost insensible form. I l “Ah, you heard that? You are in- deed, quick in an emergency Can we go on, yes?” A “Certainly; I will just lift our dazed friend into the Victoria, and tell the cocher to give him a. glass of cognac at the first cafe he comes to.” “If you think we can leave the fel- low on the ground with safety, I want to reach the yacht,” he said. “Are you wounded?” inquired Dick. “Slightly. Those scoundrels did not dare to strike home. They knew my papers would identify them.” “But they robbed you?” “No, not of anything valuable. Why do you ask?” “Because you sang out to one of them, an Italian, I should judgeâ€"” had happened. Then he tinned to Royson. \ The Baron cut him short, stipulat- ing? stemly that he must;~ forget what I, V60 thréw aside all useless impediments. and, like the daring soldier he was. decided in favor of ettack. He fought his way for twenty hatches. but. was finally overthrown. with all hismen, byaNubianclan. TheBo- mans were slain without mercy. Their conquerors knew nothing of the gold and jewels hidden in the desert three velons hoard, gathered Horn Persia and India by generations 315‘ W has his: there nearly two thousand Sea as well gs _in Arabia Indeed. the Abyssinian: hold the belief to this day that their kings are ‘deaeenfled from a son of the Queen of Shel); and Solo'mon, HOWever that may 'be. Aelius Gallns buried his treasure; ‘ “As ' I a was saying," he broke m rapidly, “the expedition met'with dis- aster by sea. “It was equally" uniortun- ate on land. ‘The commander built a small encampment, and sent for assis- tance the only seaw'orthy vessel left to him. He waited six' months, but no 'help came. Then he determined ‘to march inlandâ€"to strike a bold obtuse [or the Nileâ€"but he Was soon emnfielw led to entrench himself against the attacks of hostile tribes. The prob- ability is that the Sabbeans ’had inter- ests on the western shores of the Red The Austrian winced' at this check to his story. ‘These 3de mariners had no imagination. He wished to enthuse them, to 'fire them with the vision of countless wealth, but they had side-tracked ideality for some stu- pid remihiscence. of a collision. In a word, they did him good, and he reached the point of his narration all the more speedily. _ t _ tow. Her rope snapped at the wrong moment, an’ she ran me on top of the James an’ Mary shoal. Remember’ er, “Shail I ever forgit ’er?” grunted Stump. “I wish them Romans had looted her. W’en I was éoin’ ddwn the Ho'oghly, she was comin’ up, in “The Queen 0’ Sheba! Ionceknew a ‘shop 0’ that‘name. D’ye remember her, cap’n?” Von ‘Kerber, f_airly launched in a recital glib on his lips, regained the dominance‘of mariner which the attitude of his subordinates had mo- mentarily imperiled. Increased com- posure brought with it a, certain hau- half chafing, half smoking, and said otacularly: tent, and he paused againâ€"Lperhaps td gratify the actor’s instinct ’in him rather than observe the eflect of his words. 'But the break'was unfortun- ate. Tagg removed the cigar he was Fhus appealed to, Stump had to open his mouth. “I’ve known it b10w 'like sin,” he said. Isn’t that so, Tags?” "Wuss nor sin, cap’n. Ord’nary manslaughter isn’t in it with a nor’- east gale on' a dark night off them is- lands north 0’ Perim.” } “Exactly,” agreed the Baron eager- ly. “That is Where the Roman trire- mes were caught. They were driven ashore in a little bay in what is now Italian territory. Their“ vessels we“ wrecked, but they saved the loot they had taken from the Sabaeans. The nature and value of the loss can hard- ly be estimated in these days, but you can draw your own conclusions when you learn that the city of Saba is more familiar to us under its Bibica] name, Sheba. It was thence that the famous queen came who visited Solomon. Nearly a thOusand years later, when the Roman legion sacked it with fire and sword, it' was at the height of its glory.” , A _ j Dick summoned the steward, and ascertained that the watch were quiet- _ 1y chatting and smoking int-ward. whereas the Baron’s stateroom was sit- uated aft. The delay enabled von Kerber to collect his thoughts. When he resumed the promised disclosure. his voice was under control, and he spoke with less constraint “It is probable that you gentlemen are not familiar with the' history of Egypt,” he said, “but you may take it' from me that the facts I now lay before you are accurate. At one time. about the beginning of the Christian era, the Romans were all-powerful in the Nile delta. They pushed their stations 9. long' way south, almost to lthe borders of Abyssinia, but it is important to remember that they fol- lowed the lines of the river, not the sea. In the year '24 B. C., the Roman‘ Governor, hearing of the great wealth ‘ of a people called the Sabaeans, whose country lay in Arabia, in the hinter- land oi Mecha and Aden, sent an expedition there under the command of Aelius Gallus. This legion‘ is his- torically reported to have met with reverses. ‘That is true, in the sense that its galleys Were beset by a ter- rible storm on the return voyage. Though the Red Sea is usually a fair- weather lake, you can have a stiff blow there at times, I believe Cap- tain Stump?” And some cigars. Then we can dis- cuss matters at our case. Ahd will you make sure that we are not over- ”heard? What I have to gay is meant for the ship’s oflicers alone at this moment, though, when the time comes for action, every man on board must be with us absolutely.” he was a polished man of the world. 'and he prompfly ex'trieeted hims‘fli from a dificult position, though Bov- _son, at least detected the efiort he was compelled to make. “I see you are thinking that one bottle does not go far among be, Mr. Tagg, ” he exclaimed with a pleasant- ly patronizing air. “Kindlyp tell the steward to bring another, Mr. King. The latter was-obviating ill.“~ use _Althop_gh baffgq tthAmgauiarv of these -.g. f :33 pend. big mouth widening with a grin “I’mxooduantnichtpuncb myself. but. I’m too short to; 3 swing. Lord love a dnchlwilhl'dfln yo): nn‘den’tuid me. I want silenceâ€" txidtoodaervice. Givemothoodnd shall repay you tenfold.” They went on deck. Stump do: Royaon in the ribs. "It. would ha’ done me a tteat to eeyonuppetoutthatFroi.”hawhil- ,‘Nejther Captain Stump nor Hr. Tau 'knowa ‘th‘at you pro hounded. nth-{f skid Dick. ."Perhapo it 'would b_e‘ ndvisdble'to defer our talk nn'til the Then Royson spoke. Hitherto, he had taken no share in the converse tibn. but he saw that von Kerber was nable to withstand any further oft-sin. The man was bearing up gdhntly. yethehadreachedthelimitofen- duranoe. and the trouble, whatever it .seemed to be wearing he very ‘ “Ah!” The Austrian gasped a little. and his valor increased, ‘Thet is of no consequenceâ€"the placeâ€"'the'deeert â€"we shall meet with no interference." f‘Teke my ' advise an‘ 'tell 'em nethin’. Wait till they're many ’in the Red See, an’ I've worked m of the grease out of 'em.’ By’thet time. wot between prickly heat m’ m livin’. they‘ll be ready to kill my Gbrd’s quantity of Iâ€"teliem” f‘Ita'li‘ane!” snapped von Kerber "Tough!” echoed Tags. “If they’re ’lowed to eat three sOIid meals every day like the Lord Mayor’s banquets they’ve put Out o’sight' since they kem aboard, there’ll be no holdin' ‘em ” "Oh; yes, there will. 1']! hold ’em.” said Stun). “And you‘approve of my retiee'nee thus‘ far?” asked the Baron "Of your wot, miéter?" “I mean that it'wu wise not'to tell them the object of the voyage,” I have any doubts about one or two. we can ship"em home on a P. an’ 0 But, from the cut of their jibe. most of ’em are deserters from the Royal Navy, an’ the. remainder are many reserve men. That sort ' of crowd in pretty tough. eh. Tues?” “I don’t know mhch about ’em.” said Stump. “I can answer for my- self 411’ Tag, an’ from wot. I hear. Mr. King has a heart of the right size. As for the others. I'll run the rule over ’em between here an’ Port Said. chance. It was the only way. I could not talk plainly in England. you see.” C‘Tally I” “Ah! That is well put ,yes? If we are called on to fight a small war. as you say, have we got the right sort 0! The Baron laughed softly. He was pale, probably as the result of his wounds, but he was inflexible in his resolve to arrive at an understanding with his lieutenants before the remain- ing passengers put in an appearance. "Gan: gut, hex-r captain l” he cried. “You must. have seen our supply of firearms and cartridges. yes?” “Twenty rifles, twenty-five revolvers. an’ enough ammunition to fight a sdmll war." Stump ticked off each item slowly and looked at. Ten as Bombay mfipuamemihin'éumum “You did, ” agreed Tagg again. “Gun-runnin!" repeated von Ker- ber. “You mean carrying contraband arms, yes? What put that into your head?’ ed'wit said Stump. “Big or little. in package or in bulk, I go through her manifest, an’ check it, too.” “I’ve not bin,cap’n of a ship nigh on fifteen years without larnin’ the importance of knowin’ wot_she‘sloa_d- “You have grasped the situation exactly, Captain Stump.” The skipper shifted his cigar from one cOrner of his mouth to another. "Sink me,” he growled, “I" thought couldn’t be gun runnin' when there was wimmin mixed up in it. Didn’t say 50, Tag ?” 1 ' lhes'anybody else know?" Royson felt that the Baron did not eépect'this question. but the answer nine promptly “Mr. Fensh'awe knows, and the two ladies 'who accom'p'any him have u ‘ p‘ecies of general knowledge.” “If I tobk c’rect bearin's, aeoordin' ‘your yarn the ’cargo is planted some distance from the mast?” “About forty miles.” “An’, while some of us goes after it. the yacht will stand ofl an’ on, waitin’ orders, an’ mebbe runnin’ to Perim orf Aden for letters. “Am I right in bubpohin’ that you know where" this stun is hid; Mr. von Kerber?” he asked, his Small eyes twinkling under the strain of contin- ous thought. ’ ‘the‘ attention of his haul-3.1116! would have been dull: indeed, if then: vita were not stirred by the possibili- ties underlying that last. )entenee. Royson, of con'rse. jumped to coach. sions ‘which 'the others were slow to each. But Stump was not backward' in' shunning .up the facts in his own h. "Are you positive?” 1’ 5M five tho‘mnd 3 yeah wu. he Mbendihflhe was Mr. Kingpmbauonnyncondmteone MMNMWRoywn. heirtoebuonétcyflidfighttul snc mrwmmmenpz-rouo! not in the tense inmnded by Stump. It bmncht Boy-on back to earth. He Salt “he must justify himneu it he vouldirinhbmunongthaerouch Mm. ‘ Hénoe. when n railway om- nibus' xwmm my. ad puuedupinhontdlheywht’sm- L- --4;31.L;.2‘1~1LL.1.- _-- It- Then a atewax‘d ' announced break- fast. and the mirage vanished. Cap- tain Btump’s greeting showed that his slumber-a had "not' been disturbed by golden visions “Hornin’. he said "I've just bin tellin' Tegg." Seeing that his second omeer has not enlightened by this to- mark he'w'ent on: "You’ll want his help if I'm not alongside. Bless your 'e’art. you can depend on Tagg. He'll never give you away. He thinks the world of you stn'ngely. It seemed to touch un- known springs in his being. He ielt the all of the fag-flung solitude. and his heart was glad that fortune hsd bound up his lot with that of the winsome womsn who smiled on him our destination " “Ladies, you'aay, air? That‘aettlel it; This is no Rifl'piratee'job,’ then?” Royaon turned on hi; heel. 80 others, as well as Captain Stump. had drawn conclusions from those haze: of arma and ammunition? 11 Baron Franz von Kerber deemed it necessary to pwvide a warlike equipment. how (:0qu he permit an elderlv gentleman like Mr. Fen‘ehawe. and a charming girl like Irene, to say nothing of otho ers vet unknown to Royson. to share in the risk of a. venture demanding such safeguards? That was a puzzle. but "it disturbed Dick not a whit. Somehbw. the mention of the desert and its secret board had stirred him “But the chap: {oi'rard made out that there's a. bit of a. mystery in it. m’ I argied they use talkin’ nonsense! “You are quite fight. The owner andapartyofledi‘eewillbeonbmrd Alin'xéd the chat round to the prob- able destination of the yacht. the sec- ond mate’s thoughts fell from romance to team __ “You will be told soon enough where we 're bound for.” he answered sharply. Roysbn "agreed with him, and the two convened a while, but'when Que egieked in Bolishing the glass front of the wheel-house. followed the direc- tion of his gaze and half interpreted his day-dream. ‘make him the fabulously "rich Count of Monte Christo. It was only a soul- stirring romance, a dim legend trans- formed into vivid" life by the genius of the inspired quadroon. But its ex- traordinary appositeness to the Aph- odite’s quest suddenly occurred to the young Ergilishrhan watching the sun- lit isle. e was startled at the thou- ght, especially when he contrasted his present condition with his depressed awakening in Briton five days earlier. Then he laughed. and a sailor. busily "1V: a bit of a change from the West India Dock Road ain't it. 31:?” inary peeped over the shoulder of Notre Dame de la Garde. Although the Aphrodite lay inside the mole. her bridge'and promenade deck were high enough to permit him to see the rocky islet crowned by the Chateau d’If. He knew that the hero of Dumas' masterpiece had burrowed a tunnel out of that grim prison, to swim :- shore an outcast. a man with a price on his head, yet bearing with him the precious paper whose secret should ‘ "fl/they'lwm." warm ,eymz the unconscious min with equal fixity. ‘ Dick' went w‘ his cabin firm in the belief that he would lie awake half Lche night. But his brain soon refused to bother itself with.,problems‘which time might solve in a manner not yet conceivable, and "he slept soundly un- til he was. roused at an early hour. Duty dawned bright and clear. A pleasant northwesterly breeze swept the smoke haze from of! the town and kissed the blue waters of the land- locked harbor into white-crested wave- llts He took the morning watch, from four o'clock until eight, and all he had to do was to make sure that the men tried to whiten decks already spotless, and cleaned brass which shone in the sun' the instant that lum- 'atic. wli‘onf va'ia‘ence Had entrusted withthespendingoianchmans money to: the medial benefit of the soaking community. “A straight punch!" he repeated. gazing with a s‘p‘eciee of solemn joy at the men leaningagainst the rails for- ward. “They're a hard-bitten lot from what I’ve seen ”of m, an’ they’ll have to have it before they’re at sea with me very long. Won't they Tagg?" “They will.” aid Tagg ,eying the he]! revealed by van Kerher's story. He hsd'been stirred but for a mo- ment‘whien the p roject was laid bare. Already his mind was rejecting it. The only matter am concerned him wutobfihéhis’shiptoherdestinn- don in a’ seamen-like mariner, and let who would’ perplex their brains with fantasy. indeed. he was banning to reenrdtheBaronasaharmlesslun- atic. wh‘om Providence had entrusted "I‘m sorry. air. if I've said anv- [inz I :nhouldn’t." said the other. then you will find out __â€"â€" "v vâ€"vv- say nothinc of 9“!- pened to be Boy to Roma. *0 3h!” The incident I venture demand“ Dick reddened a That. was a WWW saw no reason w Dick not a whit clnim himmself. fltion 0f the den“ ““39. manna-2 deck I did! not him to nettle the Wmummul." “Just Io.” mam "I would it CHAPTER V. Miss anshsws Seeks An Ally. Rayon wss not in the least non- plnssed by this recurrence of s dilem Ins ipr which he wss not responsible. Von Either. of eburee. could have ex- tricstéd him with s word, but von Kerherlorressonsolhisown. remain- ed invisible. So Dick threw his heed hick uncharacteristic why which people soon lesrnt to sssociste with s stubborn resolve to see s crisis Maths“ Heicnoredllrs. uring‘ one unhappy minute, that Irene, and Captun Stump, md Mr. Fenshuve, each in varying degreé. shined Kn. Horton' 3 opinion a to the exceeding oddity of the {not that nny one should be masquerading on board the Aphrodite under on mum- Mn. Hanan seemed to forget her feet 0! the gang'way. Advancing with sun and easy tread she gave Dick the telegram And he was conscious. "Thst message is meant for me, ms- ds'm.” he said. “For you? But Mr. Fenshswe has jun; said that your name is King?” “an von Kerber bestowed that nameonme,butheutedunders mlsrepmsentstion. My name is Roy- 59! no_ ;euonyhy‘ he should not pro- .stter s pause. “Who is Richard Royson?" she went on, looking from Mr. Fenshswe to the nearest omcer of the ship. who hap- pened to be Royson himself. The incident was so unexpected that Dick reddened and hesitated. Yet he “Richard Royaon, British Yacht Aphrodite, Marseilles," she announc- was reading the name of the yacht when she said: "Come here boy. Have you a tele- gram for me?” She used excellent French, and the messenger gave the small blue envel- ope he was carrying. The lady drop- ped her eyeglasses, and scanned the address quickly before she read it vent her from ryting the arrival 6f 3 telegraph messenger on a bicycle. He Mr Fenshawe was not without a dry humor. but Mrs. Hax'ton was pleased to be amused. “What" a light-hearted creature you are!” she cried I envy you your high spirits. Personally, I feel utterly downcast at the prospect of a see voy- age. It always blows a mistral. or some other horrid thing, when I cross the Mediterranean. Are you sure that little bridge won't move the in- stsnt I step on it? I have quite an aversion to such jim-crack applian- Delphi." “He seems to be a nice young fellow, quite well-mannered and that sort or thing. And it imposes somewhat of a strain on the imagination to picture him in the scant attire popular at neon. sod apoke to the captain. “I an [M the qua-flan of my right “No. That is Mr. King, the young nun Irene .told you abou .” "Oh. indeed! Rather an Apollo Bélvidere, don't you think?" By this time, Mrs. Haxton had sat- isfied ”herself that the Aphrodite's o‘ew might be trusted to bring her lexes on board without smashing them and she gathered her skirts carefully to' keep them clear of the quay. She raised a lorg'non. mounted on a tor- toise-shell and silver handle, and ex- amined the yacht with measured glance. She honored the stalwart sec- ond ofioer with a‘ prolonged stare “Is that the captain?" she said to Mr. Fenshawe who was waiting to es con her on board. reeli knb‘ws about me. ma'am,” said Stun'm gallantly. beaming on her over thg railrof the small upper deck. 310' gdd! How exceedingly odd !” “Fatigued! Fiddlestieke! Look at my grandhthet. Is he fatigued? And we have travelled over the same route. But I will deal with the lie-abed Bar- on' when I see him. What a nice boat the Aphrodite is. I am in love with her already. And this is Captain Stump? Good mornig. captain I have heard about you. Baron von Kerber says you will bite my head off if I come on the bridge. Is that true?” "Show: how little Mr. von Kerber lop: journey, Miss Fenshawe.” “n-6€m-AA l D:AAIA-‘:-I-- l ‘I’ --1 uriVed P” In last nijrht ” ~. ‘Then why is he not hero to meet sion. Min Fens’hewe ‘nn along the gang 17 av. Boyaon had stationed a sailor nt the ehoreward end, while he held the tail to steady it on deck. Mrs; Hofxton’a timidity did not pre- Queues. This was Hrs. hatch. and her M action which caused Dick to dislike her. become she deliberately turned her back on the m yacht, snd cave heed only to the sale lower- in: of certain trunks from the roof of the omnibus. He heard the manner of her' speech to s neatly dressed maid sud its languid insolence did not help to- dissipate that unfavorable impres- I! “I believe he is fatigued after his II u, "' 'he morning. Mr. King," she game: on board. An electric bell satiou with the driver at the 9mm- bus. Stump nodded to a man an the quay. The forward runormg rope was cleared, and fell into the water with a loud splash. Two gallon: ran the gangvny on board. Au eacto-ic bl! jarred in the engine room, and Ulc screw moved, while the rattle of the steering chains showed that the helm was put hard a-port. When the Aph- rodite moved slowly astern, .wr bow "rung towards the mouth of the dock. The indicator rang agun, twice, ind the yacht began to forge “Oni. m'sieu'.“ and the messenger raised his hat. “Voila!” Dick threw him a. tune. “II 11': pas de rename.” «Merci bien, m'sien'.” That spinning of a coin through the air showed that Royson had made up his mind. ‘ He had I):Sed wath For- tune, and cared Int “In won. The messenger drew au :ty {mm the Her voice broke the spell which the telegram, with its curious phras- ing, had cast on him. "No. Miss Fenshawe, not bad news. certainly. Indeed it was the absence of any sort of new: that troubled me tor a moment. Chasaeur!" Yet. the only way in which he could meet Mr. Forbes’s wishes was to spring ashore then and there. if such a proceeding were practicable. and abandon the adventure whose strange Ivy-ways were already opening up be- tore his mind's eye. Then Irene said sympathetically: “I hope you have not received any bad news, Mnâ€"Royson.” The captain’s pause before address- inghimbyhisrealname wasintended to be ironical. Not so the girl's hes- itacy. Interpreting Dick’s mood with her woman's intuition, she felt that he wished to drop any subterfuge now, no matter what his motive, might haye been in adopting one hitherto. mam might be construed into an ofier of financial aid. That reading implied a more cheerful view than he had taken hitherto of his prospects with regard to the Cuddesham estate. There were twenty questions which might be asked, but staring at the flimsy bit of paper, with its jerky let- tering, would not answer any of them. And the issue called for instant de- cicion. Already. in obedience to a signal from Stump, men were standing by the fixed capstans on the mole ready to east 03 the yacht’s hawsers. Perhaps Sir Henry Royson was dying? Even in that unlikely event. of what avail was a title with nothing a year? Certainly. the solicitor’s cautious tel “Forbes," undoubtedly, was his uncle’s solicitor. But how was it possible that he should have discover- ed the name of the yacht and her port of departure? And why did he, a methodical old lawyer, not only dis- obey his client's strict injunction that no help or assistance of any sort was to be given to a rebellious nephew, but ignore Dick's own wishes, and address him as Royson, not as King? “Befite; return to England forthwith. I undertake full responsibility for ad- vise, and guarantee you against loss. Forbes." Thus, under the fire of many eyes, Royson tore open the petit blue. and read its typewritten contents. The words were brief, but sufl‘iciently be- wildeljing: But the person most taken aback by Irene's self-assertion was Mrs. Hax- ton. A firm attitude on the girl's part came as an unpleasing novelty. An imperious light leaped to her eyes, but she checked the words which might have changed a trivial inci- dent into a sharp tussle for suprem- acy. “I am sorry' ’she said quietly. “Telegrams are important things, sometimes. And the messenger is waiting, too. " ing. Royson's remarkable proficiency in most matters bearing on the navi- gation of a ship had amazed him first instance, and this juggling with names led him mto suspect some deep- laid villainy with which the midnight attack on von Kerber was not wholly unconnected. fore he shows us to our staterooms?" “Not at all. miss,” said the skipper, “he’s at your service. I can do with- out himâ€"easy.” Stump was angry with Dick, and did not hesitate to show it. A blunt man, of plain speech, he resented anything in the nature of double deal- said to Dick. Then she favored Stump with a frank smile. “I know you mean to start almost immediate- ly, captain, and it is possible that Mr. Royson may wish to send an answer before we leave Marseilles. You won't be angry if he waits one moment he- “We are not in such a desperate hurry to bestow our belongings that you cannot read~- your telegram,” she should be so ready to bring a hornet's nest about Royson’s ears. vhegeehouts of our Mine,” interrupt.- ed Hrs. Hn'xton’ a clear drawl. “Take the ladies aft. â€"l[r. Royaon, â€" on let 'em choose their quarters. ” di- rected Stump curtly. Dick would have obeyed in silence had not Miss Fenshawe thought. fit to help him. She had found Hrs. Hex- ton's airs somewhat. tiresome during the long journey from London. and she saw no reason why that. lady ."n'". WKW‘ “3‘93 ‘3 “1.3 (Continued on page L) PAGE THREI. n