y
here."

"Picard hobnobbin' with Mr. Breitmann, sir."

Breitmann? The admiral's smile thinned and disappeared. There might
be something in this. Two million francs did not appeal to him, but he
realized that to others they stood for a great fortune, one worthy of
hazards. He would talk this over with Cathewe and Fitzgerald and learn
what they thought about the matter. If this fellow Picard was a duke
and had shipped as an ordinary hand foreward . . . Peace went out of
the admiral's jaw and Flanagan's heart beat high as he saw the old
war-knots gather. Oh, for a row like old times! For twenty years he
had fought nothing bigger than a drunken stevedore. Suppose this was
the beginning of a fine rumpus? He grinned, and the admiral, noting
the same, frowned. He wished he had left the women at Marseilles.

"Say nothing to any one," he warned. "But if this man Picard comes
aboard again, keep him there."

"Yessir."

"That'll be all."

"What d' y' think?" asked Holleran, on the return to the _Place des
Palmiers_, for the two were still hungry.

"Think? There's a fight, bucko!" jubilantly.

"These pleasure-boats sure become monotonous." Holleran rubbed his
dark hands. "When d' y' think it'll begin?"

"I wish ut wus t'day."

"I've seen y' do some fine work with th' peg."

They had really seen Picard and Breitmann talking together. The
acquaintanceship might have dated from the sailing of the _Laura_, and
again it mightn't. At least, M. Ferraud, who overheard the major part
of the conversation, later in the day, was convinced that Picard had
joined the crew of the _Laura_ for no other purpose than to be in touch
with Breitmann. There were some details, however, which would be
acceptable. He followed them to the Rue Fesch, to a _trattoria_, but
entered from the rear. M. Ferraud never assumed any disguises, but
depended solely upon his adroitness in occupying the smallest space
possible. So, while the two conspirators sat at a table on the
sidewalk, M. Ferraud chose his inside, under the grilled window which
was directly above them.

"Everything is in readiness," said Picard.

"Thanks to you, duke."

"To-night you and your old boatman Pietro will leave for Aitone. The
admiral and his party will start early to-morrow morning. No matter
what may happen, he will find no drivers till morning. The drivers all
understand what they are to do on the way back from Evisa. I almost
came to blows wit