and finding out
what it was he was so anxious about?" questioned Drew, a little dashed
by Tyke's skepticism.

"Well, perhaps we shall some time later on," conceded Tyke, somewhat
doubtfully. "We can't think of doing it until we git moved an'
settled. We've got enough on hand now to keep us as busy as ants for a
good many days to come."

Drew was disappointed, but as his employer had spoken there was nothing
more to be said, and he regretfully followed Grimshaw to the ground
floor.

The chronicle of his life for the rest of that day and the two
following could be summed up in the one word, work--hard, breathless,
unceasing work. A reminder had come from Blake that the moving must be
expedited, and from Tyke himself down to Sam no one was exempt.

Not that the thought of Ruth Adams was ever for long out of Drew's
mind. But the colors had grown more sombre in his rainbow of hope. He
had snatched a few moments from his noon hour on the second day to run
over to the _Normandy_, and although this time he saw Captain Peters,
it was only to learn that he could expect no help from that quarter.

The captain was curt and irritable after his prolonged drinking bout,
and answered chiefly in monosyllables. No, he had not seen any young
girl come aboard two days before. Did not know of any one who had.

"Now you git out," snarled Peters in conclusion. "You'll git no
information here. Make no mistake about that!"

Drew was startled by the change in Captain Peters' manner and look.
The skipper glared at him as though Drew were a strange dog trying to
get the other's bone. The young man's temper was instantly rasped; but
Peters was a considerably older man than he, and he seemed to be
laboring under some misapprehension.

"I assure you, Captain Peters," Drew said, "my reasons for asking were
perfectly honorable."

"You needn't assure me of anything. Just git out!" roared the skipper
of the _Normandy_; and, seeing that there was nothing but a fight in
prospect if he remained, the young man withdrew. On deck he saw the
second officer, and that person winked at him knowingly and followed
him to the plank.

"Old man on the rampage?" he asked.

"Seems to be," said the confused Drew.

"Chance was, that that Bug-eye you knocked out the other day is a
pertic'lar friend of the skipper's. But gosh! you're some boy with
your mits."

Drew might again have tried to find out from this fellow about the
girl, but he shran