her guess
something of the wealth of homage and adoration she had inspired.
Surely, if he could talk with her, she could not fail to see something
of what he felt. And seeing, she might perhaps respond.

"I suppose you'll find it hard to leave your daughter behind?" he
ventured to say.

The captain looked at him in surprise.

"Bless your heart, I'm not going to leave her behind!" he exclaimed.
"She's going with us after those doubloons," and he laughed.

CHAPTER XII

A SATISFACTORY OUTLOOK

Drew was transported with delight, but he threw a certain carelessness
into his tone as he observed:

"I remember. Does she know what we're going for?"

"Oh yes," replied her father. "She and I are great chums, and I don't
keep anything from her. She wanted to go with me anyway when I was
thinking of taking on a cargo for Galveston, and now that she knows
treasure is in the wind, she's more eager than ever. You know how
romantic girls are, and she's looking forward with immense pleasure to
this unusual venture of ours."

Drew would have liked to ask whether the captain's wife were going too,
but he felt that he might be treading on delicate ground, so he used a
round-about method.

"I don't suppose there'll be any other women in the company?" he said
lightly.

"No," replied the captain, a little soberly. "When my wife was alive
she used to go with me occasionally on my voyages. The schooner's
named for her. But she's been dead for three years now, and as Ruth is
the only child I have, she and I will be thrown together more closely
than ever. She's finished school.

"But I'm keeping you," he added, rising from the table at which they
had been sitting; "and I suppose you've got more work on your hands
than you know how to attend to."

Drew rose with alacrity.

"I am pretty busy, for a fact," he assented. "That accident to Mr.
Grimshaw has just about doubled my work. But it isn't getting the
upper hand of me, and by the time we are ready to sail I'll have tied
all the lose ends."

"That's good. By the way, speaking of Tyke, how did you find him this
morning? I suppose you stopped in at the hospital on your way downtown
as usual?"

"Yes. He's getting along in prime shape, but he's as sore as the
mischief because he can't go along."

"It's too bad," remarked the captain sympathetically. "I'd have liked
to have him along, not only for his company, but for his shrewdness as
well. He's got a le