The golden head shook ever so slightly; again the big hand went toward
the small one, then suddenly dropped.

"Right this way m'lord--m'lady!" The face of the convict abruptly
changed; fury, hatred, a blind instinct to kill were unmistakably
revealed in his countenance as he heard the bland voice of the police
agent. From the child's hand the gold disk fell and rolled under the
wooden slab that served as a couch in the cell.

"Jocelyn!" The expostulating tones of the governor's wife preceded the
approach of the party. "What are you doing, child, so near the bars?"

"Good heavens!" Mr. Gillett seized the girl's arm and abruptly drew her
away. "My dear little lady!" he said. "Really you don't know the danger
you run. And near that cell of all of them!"

"That cell?" observed Sir Charles. "Then that is--"

"The convict I was telling you about! The 'Pet of 'Frisco.' The 'Pride
of Golden Gate.'"

* * * * *

CHAPTER II

A MESSAGE TO THE ADMIRALTY

The following night, Captain Macpherson in his cabin, rolled up
carefully the chart he had been scanning, deposited it in a copper
cylinder and drew from his pocket a small pipe. As he filled and lighted
it, exhaling the smoke of the black weed and leaning more comfortably
back in his low, swinging chair, the expression of his iron countenance
exhibited, in the slightest degree, that solace which comes from the
nicotine. Occasionally, however, he would hold his pipe away from his
mouth, to pause and listen. The weather had turned nasty again; above,
the wind sounded loudly. Now it descended on the ship like a
fierce-scolding virago, then rushed on with wild, shrieking dissonance.
The _Lord Nelson_ minded not, but continued steadily on her way.

Her captain emptied his pipe, glanced toward his bunk and started to
take off his coat. Human nature has its limit; he had passed many
sleepless nights and now felt entitled to a brief respite, especially as
the chart showed neither reef nor rock anywhere in the neighborhood. But
he had only one arm out of the garment when something happened that
caused him to change his mind; abruptly hurled to the other end of the
cabin, he found himself lying, half-stunned, on the floor. A hubbub of
noises filled the air, snappings, crashings, the rending of woodwork.

Captain Macpherson staggered to his feet, and, swaying like a drunken
man, stood a few moments holding his hand to his brow. Then his fist