er's the smile vanished by degrees; and upon her
visage for the while was the same look of awesome seriousness as was
upon the young man's.

"Mebbe they're gorillas, miss," chuckled Higgins.

She turned, reluctant yet relieved at the release from the tension, and
looked at him speculatively.

"Why did you say that?" she asked.

"Gorillas, miss? Pshaw! Don't be afraid; I juggle them for morning
exercise. Eh? What?" he continued, as he realized that her expression
was not one of jesting. "By the great smoked fish--excuse me for
cussin', miss--if it wasn't ridiculous I'd say I'd hit it!"

"Do you know anything about this place?" she asked quietly.

"Not a thing, miss."

"Or about the people round here?"

"No."

"It was strange," she said, "your saying 'tiger' and 'gorilla' just
then. It was what I would have said--if I could have spoken."

"I am sorry, very sorry we alarmed you," said Roger. "We didn't want
to intrude."

"Oh, I am glad you were here," she cried. "You don't know how glad I
was to turn round and see you two instead of----"

"Instead of tigers and gorillas?" laughed Roger. "Oh! I beg your
pardon!" he cried in swift contrition at the look which the words
brought back to her eyes. "I wouldn't for the world--but, surely--it's
impossible; there are no dangerous wild animals on this pretty little
key."

"No," she said slowly, looking away from him. "No, there are not any
dangerous--wild beasts on this key. It--it was just a morning
nightmare." She laughed, looking up. "Perhaps I wasn't thoroughly
awake yet." But she shuddered, and swiftly made pretense she was
shaking herself. "There; I'm awake now. There are no dangerous wild
animals here. There are only--people. It--it was just--just
moonshine."

"Do they make a little of it round here, miss?" Higgins winked eagerly
and with such energy that his ears and hat moved.

"Oh, Higgins!" groaned Roger; but the girl threw back her head and
laughed with relief and gratitude for the chance of merriment until the
virgin morning seemed filled with song. Higgins' hair-trigger laughter
rumbled deep accompaniment; and, as always, the engineer's merriment
forced itself upon Roger, and he joined in, while the silver of the
girl's tones pealed above both, tinkling in the sun-kissed palms above,
rolling out over the purple water, out to the mooring of the immaculate
Egret.

"We were on the Swastika, and rose early," explained Roger.

"