ome to you, and have a chat over our Indian days; but
at present I really am not up to it."

His appearance was sufficient to testify that his plea was not a
fictitious excuse.

On the fourth day he found a letter awaiting him at the post
office. He tore it open, and read:

"Funchal, Madeira, August 30.

"Sir: At the request of Mr. Greenwood I beg to inform you that a
brigantine, precisely answering to the description given me,
anchored in the roads here on the 21st. She only remained a few
hours to take in water and stores. I was at the landing place when
the master came on shore. He said that they had had a wonderfully
fast voyage from England, having come from the Lizard under seven
days, and holding a leading wind all the way. She was flying the
Belgian flag, and I learned from the Portuguese official who
visited her that her papers were all in order, and that she had
been purchased at Ostend from an Englishman only three weeks
before, and had been named the Dragon. He did not remember what her
English name had been.

"Most unfortunately she had left a few hours before the mail
steamer came in, bringing me the letter from Lloyd's. I do not know
that I could, in any case, have stopped her; but I think that I
could have got the officials to have searched her, and if the
ladies had been on board, and had appealed to them for protection,
I think the vessel would certainly have been detained; or, at any
rate, the authorities would have insisted upon the ladies being set
on shore.

"Her papers had the Cape as her destination, though this may, of
course, have been only a blind. I regret much that I am unable to
give you further information, beyond the fact that there were two
male passengers on board. I shall be happy to reply to any
communication I may receive from you."

Frank hurried down to the landing place.

"Lay out, men," he said. "I want to be under way in a quarter of an
hour."

The men bent to their oars, and the gig flew through the water.
There was no one on shore, for Frank had given strict orders that
no one was to land, of a morning, until he returned from the post
office.

"Get under way at once," he called to the captain, as soon as he
came within hailing distance.

There was an instant stir on board. Some of the men ran to the
capstan, others began to unlace the sail covers, while some
gathered at the davits to hoist the boat up directly she came
alongside.

"I have news, lads," Frank