ir. But, remembering his own affliction, he released the old man so
abruptly as to drop him violently into the chair.

"My word, sir," said Daughtry. "You must 'a' ben havin' a time of
it.--Here, you fella Kwaque, this fella wringin' wet. You fella take 'm
off shoe stop along him."

But before Kwaque, immediately kneeling, could touch hand to the
shoelaces, Daughtry, remembering that Kwaque was likewise unclean, had
thrust him away.

"My word, I don't know what to do," Daughtry murmured, staring about
helplessly as he realised that it was a leper-house, that the very chair
in which the old man sat was a leper-chair, that the very floor on which
his exhausted feet rested was a leper-floor.

"I'm glad to see you, most exceeding glad," the Ancient Mariner panted,
extending his hand in greeting.

Dag Daughtry avoided it.

"How goes the treasure-hunting?" he queried lightly. "Any prospects in
sight?"

The Ancient Mariner nodded, and with returning breath, at first
whispering, gasped out:

"We're all cleared to sail on the first of the ebb at seven this morning.
She's out in the stream now, a tidy bit of a schooner, the _Bethlehem_,
with good lines and hull and large cabin accommodations. She used to be
in the Tahiti trade, before the steamers ran her out. Provisions are
good. Everything is most excellent. I saw to that. I cannot say I like
the captain. I've seen his type before. A splendid seaman, I am
certain, but a Bully Hayes grown old. A natural born pirate, a very
wicked old man indeed. Nor is the backer any better. He is middle-aged,
has a bad record, and is not in any sense of the word a gentleman, but he
has plenty of money--made it first in California oil, then grub-staked a
prospector in British Columbia, cheated him out of his share of the big
lode he discovered and doubled his own wealth half a dozen times over. A
very undesirable, unlikeable sort of a man. But he believes in luck, and
is confident that he'll make at least fifty millions out of our adventure
and cheat me out of my share. He's as much a pirate as is the captain
he's engaged."

"Mr. Greenleaf, I congratulate you, sir," Daughtry said. "And you have
touched me, sir, touched me to the heart, coming all the way out here on
such a night, and running such risks, just to say good-bye to poor Dag
Daughtry, who always meant somewhat well but had bad luck."

But while he talked so heartily, Daughtry saw, in a resplendent
vision