ut you might
muzzle your rackety engine."

Dick, who had seen the boat, gave her room enough, but let the engine
run. He imagined that Jake's motive for slowing down might be
misunderstood by the senoritas' guardian, since a touch of Moorish
influence still colors the Spaniard's care of his women. As the launch
swung to starboard her red light shone into the boat, and Dick recognized
Don Sebastian sitting next a stout lady in a black dress. There were
three or four girls beside them, and then Dick's grasp on the tiller
stiffened, for the ruby beam picked out Clare's face. He thought it wore
a tired look, but she turned her head, as if dazzled, and the light
passed on, and Dick's heart beat as the boat dropped back into the gloom.
Since Kenwardine had sent Clare with Don Sebastian, he could not be
going, and Dick might find an opportunity for speaking to her alone. He
meant to do so, although the interview would not be free from
embarrassment. Then he avoided another boat, and stopping the engine,
steered for the steamer's ladder.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE ALTERED SAILING LIST

When dinner was over, Dick sat by himself in a quiet spot on the liner's
quarter-deck. There was a tall, iron bulwark beside him, but close by
this was replaced by netted rails, through which he caught the pale
shimmer of the sea. The warm land-breeze had freshened and ripples
splashed against the vessel's side, while every now and then a languid
gurgle rose from about her waterline and the foam her plates threw off
was filled with phosphorescent flame. A string band was playing on the
poop, and passengers and guests moved through the intricate figures of a
Spanish dance on the broad deck below. Their poses were graceful and
their dress was picturesque, but Dick watched them listlessly.

He was not in a mood for dancing, for he had been working hard at the dam
and his thoughts were disturbed. Clare had refused him, and although he
did not accept her decision as final, he could see no way of taking her
out of her father's hands, while he had made no progress towards
unraveling the latter's plots. Kenwardine was not on board, but Dick had
only seen Clare at some distance off across the table in the saloon.
Moreover, he thought she must have taken some trouble to avoid meeting
him.

Then he remembered the speeches made by the visitors at dinner, and the
steamship officers' replies. The former, colored by French and Spanish
politeness and Ame