which was now
steaming down towards the _Dunkery Beacon_ and the _Summer Shelter_,
while the small steamer from the Mediterranean was making her way
northward to meet her, was the _Monterey_ of Vera Cruz, and carried
Captain Philip Horn and his wife Edna.

As soon as Captain Horn had heard of the danger which threatened the
treasure which was on its way from London to the Peruvian
government,--treasure which had cost him such toil, anxiety, and
suffering, and in the final just disposition of which he felt the
deepest interest and even responsibility,--although, in fact, the care
and charge of which had passed entirely out of his hands,--he determined
not only to write to Shirley to go to Jamaica, but to go there himself
without loss of time, believing from what he had heard that he could
surely reach Kingston before the arrival there of the _Dunkery Beacon_.

But that steamer started before her time, and when he reached Vera Cruz,
he found it impossible to leave immediately for his destination. And
when at last he bought a steamer, and arrived at Kingston, the _Dunkery
Beacon_ and the yacht _Summer Shelter_ had both departed. But the
Captain found the letter from Mrs. Cliff, and while this explained a
great deal, it also puzzled him greatly.

His wife and Mrs. Cliff had corresponded with some regularity, but the
latter had never mentioned the fact that she was the owner of a yacht.
Mrs. Cliff had intended to tell Edna all about this new piece of
property, but when she looked at the matter from an outside point of
view, it seemed to her such a ridiculous thing that she should own a
yacht that she did not want to write anything about it until her plans
were perfected, and she could tell just what she was going to do. But
when she suddenly decided to sail for Jamaica, her mind was so occupied
with the plans of the moment that she had no time to write.

Therefore it was that Captain and Mrs. Horn wondered greatly what in the
name of common sense Mrs. Cliff was doing with a yacht. But they knew
that Shirley and Burke were on board, and that they had sailed on the
track of the _Dunkery Beacon_, hoping to overtake her and deliver the
message which Shirley carried. The Captain decided that it was his duty
to follow these two vessels down the coast of South America.

The _Monterey_ was a large steamer sailing in ballast, and of moderate
speed, and the Captain had with him--besides his wife and her maid--the
three negro men