gs, graceful despite the sudden yank with which her aunt set
her in motion. Percival managed to keep an eye on her till she turned
the corner. Then he sighed.

The Captain halted in front of him.

"Are you acquainted with Mrs. Spofford and her niece, Percival?" he
inquired.

"Miss Clinton has done me the honour to remember meeting me night before
last at the Alcazar Grand, sir. Mrs. Spofford is not so generous."

"I see," said Captain Trigger reflectively. "You will report at once to
Mr. Gray. He will give you a less public job, as you call it." A twinkle
came into his eyes. "He doesn't like the hat you're wearing. Nor the
shirt. Nor the boots."

"Thank you, sir."

"And, by the way, Percival, as soon as you are slightly refurbished I
want you to stroll through the second cabin and if possible identify the
two stewards who came to No. 22. Let me see, was it during the day or at
night?"

"Some time during the night, sir. Eleven or half-past, I should say."

"Very well."

An hour later he reported to Captain Trigger. "I have seen all of the
stewards, sir, according to Mr. Codge, and I do not recognize any of
them as the men who came to No. 22. I had a fairly good view of them,
too, from beneath the lower berth. They spoke in a language I did not
understand--"

"Do you understand German?"

"No, sir. I know it when I hear it, however. They were not speaking
German. I may have been wrong, but I came to the conclusion that they
were transferring some one to No. 22. They brought in two suitcases, and
left them when they went out. I--"

Captain Trigger brought his clenched fist down on the table with a
resounding, emphatic bang.

"Now, we have it! That Chicago detective is right, by gad!"

He turned to the small group of officers clustered behind him. Fresh
alarm,--real consternation,--had leaped into the eyes of every man of
them.

"Then--then, that means our search isn't over?" cried Mr. Mott, starting
up.

"It does! Every inch of this ship,--every damned inch of it, from stem
to stern. Overlook nothing, Mr. Mott. Don't delay a second."

Percival was alone with the agitated Captain an instant later. Trigger's
eyes were rather wild and bloodshot. The younger man's face blanched. He
knew now that the danger was real. He waited for the Captain to speak.

"Percival, the two men you saw in 22 were not stewards. They were the
men who jumped overboard. You tell me they left two bags there when they
went out o