ly as beggars on the mud flats. Twice
before have we been forced to be the bearers of ill news, but--" he
shrugged, "that was in the past. This lies in the future."

"What does?" asked Ricky.

"It is such a tangle," he said, running his hand through his short,
gray-streaked hair. "A tangle such as lawyers are supposed to delight
in. But they don't, I assure you that they don't, Miss Ralestone. Not if
they have their client's interest at heart. You know, of course, of the
missing Ralestone--Roderick?"

Ricky and Val both nodded. Mr. LeFleur spread out his plump hands in a
queer little gesture as if he were pushing something away. "This whole
unfortunate business begins with him. As far as we know today, he and
his brother were co-owners of Pirate's Haven. When young Roderick
disappeared, he was still part owner. Although he was presumed dead, he
was never lawfully declared so. Pirate's Haven was simply assumed to be
the property of your branch of the family."

"Our branch of the family?" Val echoed him. "Do you mean that some
descendant of Roderick has appeared to put in a claim?"

"That is the problem. Three days ago a man came to my office. He said
that he is the direct descendant of Roderick Ralestone and that he can
produce proof of that fact."

"And he wants his share of the estate?" asked Ricky shrewdly.

"Yes."

"He can keep on wanting," Val said shortly. "We've nothing to give."

"There's Pirate's Haven," pointed out Mr. LeFleur.

"But he can't--" Ricky's hand closed about her brother's wrist.

"Naturally he can't take it," Val assured her hotly. "Pirate's Haven is
ours. This looks to me like blackmail. He'll threaten to stir up a lot
of trouble unless we buy him off."

Mr. LeFleur nodded. "That is perhaps the motive behind it all."

"Well," Val forced a laugh, "then he loses. We haven't the money to buy
him off."

"Neither have you the money to fight a case through the courts, Mr.
Valerius," answered the lawyer soberly.

"But there is some chance, there must be!" urged Ricky.

"I submitted the full case to Mr. John Stanton yesterday--Mr. Stanton is
our local authority on cases of this type. He has informed me that there
is a single ray of hope. Frankly, I find this claimant a dubious person,
but a shrewd one. He knows that he has the advantage now, but should we
gain the upper hand, we could, I believe, rid ourselves of him. Our
chance lies in the past. This was first a French and then a Spani