Francisco."

He stood up abruptly, towering to such height that Daughtry looked to see
the crown of his head collide with the deck above.

"I'm sick and tired of you all, yes, I am," he continued. "Get busy!
Well, let's get busy. My money's coming. It'll be here by to-morrow.
Let's be ready to start by hiring a steward that is a steward. I don't
care if he brings two families along."

"I guess you're right, Grimshaw," Simon Nishikanta said appeasingly. "The
trip is beginning to get on all our nerves. Forget it if I fly off the
handle. Of course we'll take this steward if you want him. I thought he
was too stylish for you."

He turned to Daughtry.

"Naturally, the least said ashore about us the better."

"That's all right, sir. I can keep my mouth shut, though I might as well
tell you there's some pretty tales about you drifting around the beach
right now."

"The object of our expedition?" the Jew queried quickly.

Daughtry nodded.

"Is that why you want to come?" was demanded equally quickly.

Daughtry shook his head.

"As long as you give me my beer each day, sir, I ain't goin' to be
interested in your treasure-huntin'. It ain't no new tale to me. The
South Seas is populous with treasure-hunters--" Almost could Daughtry
have sworn that he had seen a flash of anxiety break through the dream-
films that bleared the Ancient Mariner's eyes. "And I must say, sir," he
went on easily, though saying what he would not have said had it not been
for what he was almost certain he sensed of the ancient's anxiousness,
"that the South Seas is just naturally lousy with buried treasure.
There's Keeling-Cocos, millions 'n' millions of it, pounds sterling, I
mean, waiting for the lucky one with the right steer."

This time Daughtry could have sworn to having sensed a change toward
relief in the Ancient Mariner, whose eyes were again filmy with dreams.

"But I ain't interested in treasure, sir," Daughtry concluded. "It's
beer I'm interested in. You can chase your treasure, an' I don't care
how long, just as long as I've got six quarts to open each day. But I
give you fair warning, sir, before I sign on: if the beer dries up, I'm
goin' to get interested in what you're after. Fair play is my motto."

"Do you expect us to pay for your beer in addition?" Simon Nishikanta
demanded.

To Daughtry it was too good to be true. Here, with the Jew healing the
breach with the wheat-farmer whose agents still cabled