situation by Hutton's hand on
my shoulder.

"Nice-looking old girl, but, like all of her sex, a gay deceiver.
Slowest tub that ever floated a U. S. flag; any coal barge could get
away from her in a fair wind. Take her half an hour now to get within
hailing distance, and the old man raging to learn the news. How do you
feel? still groggy?"

"All right, except for a stiff headache."

"Then come into the cabin. There is nothing more to do on deck, and I
want to get sight of the ship's papers. Where was the fellow cleared
for?"

"Santiago."

"And his cargo?"

"Miscellaneous; mostly farm machinery--worth investigating."

"I 'll have some of the boxes broken open, but will take a squint at
the papers first. What became of the girl?"

"The steward took her below, and locked her in before the fracas
started."

"I thought so; I heard a little of the talk, and hung back so as to
give you plenty of time." He laughed, good-humoredly. "Nice little
scrap, Craig; those fellows never even heard us, until I was over the
rail. By the way, is the young lady married? I never heard the whole
story."

"She is a widow," I replied, a bit stiffly, resenting his flippancy of
tone. "She was the wife of this Henley's half brother, but I have
every reason to believe he is dead."

He looked into my face, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Let us hope the good news is true," he said soberly. "Come, don't
flare up, man; I recognize the symptoms. But don't you think she will
be crying her pretty eyes out down below?"

We went down the companion stairs together, into a deserted cabin. No
steward was in evidence, and, finding the Captain's stateroom locked,
the Lieutenant kicked open the door, and entered. I turned back,
explored the passage, and finally dragged Louis out from a dark corner
of the pantry. That darky was plainly in a state of flunk, his legs
trembling, and the whites of his eyes much in evidence.

"Oh, Lor', Massa Craig," he whined. "Ah ain't done nuthin', deed Ah
ain't, sah!"

"You locked up the girl."

"Ah just had to, sah. Captain Henley he just nat'rally skin me alive,
sah, if Ah don't. But Ah nebber hurt her none."

"Where is she?"

"In number five, sah; here--here am de key."

"All right, Louis," and I tossed him into one corner. "Now listen; set
that table, and get some food on it quick. Make coffee, but don't wait
for anything else."

"Yes, sah."

I crossed the cabin, and inserte