wife, poor little
woman."

The mate rose slowly from his seat. "Good-night all. I'm going ashore
and turning in. I think another fortnight will see us a full ship."

Just as Barry had taken his seat in the dinghy and the crew were about
to push her off Barradas came to the gangway.

"I'd like to go ashore with you, Mr. Barry, if you don't mind, and
stretch my legs along the beach."

"Certainly," answered the mate coldly, as he hauled the boat alongside
the ladder again. Barradas descended and took his seat beside him in
silence.

For many weeks past Barry had noticed that the second mate had sought
every opportunity possible to talk to him, but he had, while being
perfectly polite to him, repulsed the man's overtures. On several
occasions the Spaniard, when Barry was sleeping on board, had come into
his superior officer's cabin under the plea of talking about matters
connected with either the ship or the boats, and each time Barry had
let him see that he was not anxious for his company. In fact, he had
had a hard struggle to conceal his abhorrence for the man, but for the
sake of the great interests at stake he endured his visits, but gave
him no encouragement to talk about anything else but the ship's
business, and then with a curt "good-night" the men would part, and
Barradas would walk the main deck muttering and communing to himself
till dawn. Then he would resume his daily work with a sullen face and
in moody silence.

The night was ablaze with the light of a glorious moon, floating in a
sky of cloudless blue, as the two men stepped out of the boat and
walked up to Barry's native house. Barradas was breathing quickly and
heavily, and every now and then he would take a quick glance at the
mate's grave, impassable face.

"Will you come in and sit down for a few minutes?" said Barry with cold
civility.

"No, thank you," and as the Spaniard struck a match to light his pipe
Barry saw that his swarthy face showed pale in the moonlight and that
his hand trembled; "I don't want to keep you from your sleep. You have
had a hard day's work in the boats, and I have done nothing."

He waited for a moment or two, but Barry did not repeat his invitation.
With his hands in his pockets he was gazing out upon the moonlit
lagoon, apparently oblivious of his subordinate's presence.

"I think I shall take a walk on the path running along the outer
beach," said Barradas presently in an awkward, constrained manner.