the
strip of land and pebble, beneath the woods, a group of figures,
standing at that moment and staring in the direction of the burning
ship, which had evidently just rounded the extreme point of the cove
at its southern confines. There were several figures in the group, and
two were mounted. Presently these moved forward in our direction, at a
smart pace; before they had gone far, I recognized the riders.

"A search party!" I exclaimed. "Look--that's Mr. Raven, in front, and
surely that's Lorrimore, behind him. They're looking for us."

She gazed at the approaching figures for a moment, shielding her eyes
from the already strong glare of the mounting sun, then ran forward
along the shingle to meet them; I followed as rapidly as my
improvised foot-wear would permit. By the time I reached them, Mr.
Raven and Lorrimore were off their horses, the other members of the
party had come up, and my companion in tribulation was explaining the
situation. I let her talk--she was summing it all up in more concise
fashion than I could have done. Her uncle listened with simple,
open-mouthed astonishment; Lorrimore, when it came to mention of the
Chinese element, with an obvious growing concern that seemed to be not
far away from suspicion. He turned to me as Miss Raven finished.

"How many Chinese do you reckon were on board?" he asked.

"Four--including the last arrival, described as a gentleman," I
answered.

"And two English?" he inquired.

"One Englishman, and one Frenchman," said I. "My belief is that the
Chinese have settled the other two--and then possibly settled
themselves, among them. There's one man somewhere in these woods.
Whether he's a Chinaman we can't say--we couldn't make out."

He stared at me wonderingly for a moment; then turned and looked at
the yawl. Evidently the blue-jackets had succeeded in checking the
fire; the flame had died down, and the smoke now only hung about in
wreaths; we could see figures running actively about the deck.

"There may be men on there that need medical assistance," said
Lorrimore. "Where's this boat you mentioned, Middlebrook? I'm going
off to that vessel. Two of you men pull me across there."

"I'll go with you," said I. "I left my boots in the cabin--I may find
them--and a good deal else. The boat's just along here."

The search party was a mixed lot--a couple of local policemen, some
gamekeepers, two or three fishermen, one of Mr. Raven's men-servants.
Two of the fish