his
hesitation; the old fellow was very keen. Cartwright's look, however,
was inscrutable and for a few moments he said nothing. Then he picked up
some papers on his desk.

"Look me up now and then when you're in port. I might have a job for
you, but I don't know yet," he said, and added in a meaning voice: "If
you want to see my family, Mrs. Cartwright will receive you at her
house."

Lister colored and got up. "I'll remember, sir! Perhaps I oughtn't to
have persuaded Miss Hyslop--I didn't stop to think--"

When he went off Cartwright smiled, but soon afterwards he put his
cigar-case in his pocket and told Gavin he was going out. He thought he
knew where to find the cattle boat's shore-engineer, and when he did so
the waitress gave them a table at which they would not be disturbed. In
half an hour Cartwright had found out all he wanted to know, and
returning to his office, he smoked and mused.

Lister had not exaggerated; his pluck and coolness had kept _Ardrigh's_
engines going when to stop might have meant the loss of the livestock on
board. Well, Cartwright had known the fellow was good stuff and he might
soon want a man like that. Somebody staunch and resolute who knew his
job! He had beaten his antagonists at the shareholders' meeting, but
doubted if he could do so again. In fact, he had only put off the
reckoning for six months, in which he must make good, and he knitted his
brows while he studied _Titania's_ picture. He thought about her sister
ship, wrecked and abandoned on the African coast.

_Arcturus_ was a useful boat and cheap to run. Although times were bad,
Cartwright could run her and earn some profit. He had known the company
that bought her was getting near the rocks, but they had insured her
heavily and there was something strange about the wreck. Cartwright
understood the underwriters had hesitated before they paid. He, himself,
would not have paid; he had a notion--.

An effort had been made to float _Arcturus_, but the salvors did not
know all Cartwright thought he knew. If his supposition were correct,
the wreck might be worth buying and one could, no doubt, buy her very
cheap. The boat had for some time lain half-buried in shifting sands at
the mouth of an African river.

The underwriters would be lucky if they sold her for old iron.

Cartwright weighed the cost of floating. If he employed a regular
salvage company, this would be high, because they would bargain for a
large part of th