think Mr.
Shirley's situation is very dangerous?"

"Nobody knows anything about that, madam," said he, "but until we get
him back on this yacht, I'll stick to her!"

Burke could not make out the new-comer very well, but he knew her to be
a Mediterranean steamer. She was of moderate size, and making good
headway. "I haven't the least bit of a doubt," said he to Burdette,
"that that's the pirate vessel from Genoa!"

"I shouldn't wonder if you're right!" said the mate, taking the glass.
"I think I can see a lot of heads in her bow, and now I wonder what is
going to happen next!"

"That nobody knows," said Burke, "but if I had Shirley on board here,
I'd steam away and let them have it out. We have done all we're called
upon to do to keep those Peruvian fools from losing that cargo of gold!"

The strange vessel drew nearer and nearer to the _Dunkery Beacon_, and
the two steamers, much to the amazement of the watchers on the yacht,
now lay to and seemed prepared to hail each other. They did hail, and
after a short time a boat was lowered from the stranger, and pulled to
the _Dunkery Beacon_. There were but few men in the boat, although there
were many heads on the decks from which they had come.

"This beats me!" ejaculated Burke. "They seem willing enough to lay to
for her!"

"It looks to me," said Mr. Burdette, "as if she wanted to be captured!"

"I'd like to know," said the Captain, "what's the meaning of that queer
bit of blotched bunting that's been run up on the _Dunkery_?"

"Can't tell," said the other, "but there's another one like it on the
other steamer!"

"My friends," said Mr. Arbuckle, standing in a group of his
fellow-clergymen on the main deck, "it is my earnest opinion that those
two ships are accomplices in a great crime."

"If that be so," said another, "we are here in the position of utterly
helpless witnesses. But we should not allow ourselves to look on this
business from one point of view only. It may be that the intentions of
that recently arrived vessel are perfectly honorable. She may bring
later orders from the owners of the _Dunkery Beacon_, and bring them too
with more authority than did Mr. Shirley, who, after all, was only a
volunteer!"

The yacht was lying to, and at this moment the lookout announced a sail
on the starboard quarter. Glancing in that direction, nearly everybody
could see that another steamer, her hull well up in view, was coming
down from the north.

"By George!"