ng.
The ladies would never forgive us if we sat here inactive, even if they
were capable of rescuing themselves. It is an accepted principle of law
that this climate hath no fury like a woman left to herself, and we've got
enough professional furies hereabouts without our aiding in augmenting the
ranks. We must have a boat."

"It'll cost you a thousand dollars a week," said Charon.

"I'll subscribe fifty," cried Hamlet.

"I'll consult my secretary," said Solomon, "and find out how many of my
wives have been abducted, and I'll pay ten dollars apiece for their
recovery."

"That's liberal," said Hawkshaw. "There are sixty-three of 'em on board,
together with eighty of his fiancees. What's the quotation on fiancees,
King Solomon?"

"Nothing," said Solomon. "They're not mine yet, and it's their fathers'
business to get 'em back. Not mine."

Other subscriptions came pouring in, and it was not long before everybody
save Shylock had put his name down for something. This some one of the
more quick-witted of the spirits soon observed, and, with reckless
disregard of the feelings of the Merchant of Venice, began to call:
"Shylock! Shylock! How much?"

The Merchant tried to leave the pier, but his path was blocked.

"Subscribe, subscribe!" was the cry. "How much?"

"Order, gentlemen, order!" said Sir Walter, rising and holding a bottle
aloft. "A black person by the name of Friday, a valet of our friend Mr.
Crusoe, has just handed me this bottle, which he picked up ten minutes ago
on the bank of the river a few miles distant. It contains a bit of paper,
and may perhaps give us a clew based upon something more substantial than
even the wonderful theories of our new brother Holmes."

[Illustration: A BLACK PERSON BY THE NAME OF FRIDAY FINDS A BOTTLE]

A deathly silence followed the chairman's words, as Sir Walter drew a
cork-screw from his pocket and opened the bottle. He extracted the paper,
and, as he had surmised, it proved to be a message from the missing
vessel. His face brightening with a smile of relief, Sir Walter read,
aloud:

"Have just emerged into the Atlantic. Club in hands of Kidd and forty
ruffians. One hundred and eighty-three ladies on board. Headed for the
Azores. Send aid at once. All well except Xanthippe, who is seasick in the
billiard-room. (Signed) Portia."

"Aha!" cried Hawkshaw. "That shows how valuable the Holmes theory is."

"Precisely," said Holmes. "No woman knows anything about seafaring,