nything to do with us. If he's a good man I'm glad
the captain gave him a job. It's tough luck to lose your fingers,
especially if you must work for a living."

By five o'clock the steam yacht had left the harbor of Nassau and was
standing out to sea once more. The course was again southward, around
the western extremity of Cuba. During the following days they passed
numerous islands and keys, as they are called, but generally at such a
distance that the shores could be seen but faintly.

To make sure of what he was doing, Anderson Rover held several
consultations with Captain Barforth, and Bahama Bill was closely
questioned regarding the location of Treasure Isle. The old tar stuck
to the story he had told so often, and went over numerous maps with
the commander of the steam yacht.

"He has the location pretty well fixed in his head unless the whole
thing is a fairy tale," was Captain Barforth's comment.

While one of these talks was going on, Dick, who was on deck, chanced
to go below in a hurry. As he passed down the companionway he
encountered Walt Wingate, who had been listening at the cabin doorway.

"Hullo, what do you want?" demanded Dick, for the man's face had a
guilty look on it.

"Why--er--my handkerchief blew down here and I came down to get
it," answered the new deck hand, and pointed to the cloth in question
sticking out of his pocket.

"Is that all?"

"That's all, sir," answered Wingate, and touching his cap he slouched
off. Then he turned back. "Sorry if I disturbed anybody," he added.

"Oh, I suppose it is all right," returned Dick, but he was by no means
satisfied, although he could not tell exactly why. There was something
about the new deck hand that did not "ring true." At first he thought
to speak to his parent about the occurrence, but then concluded not to
worry his father.

Knowing that it was now a race between the _Rainbow_ and the _Josephine_
for Treasure Isle, Captain Barforth crowded on all steam. The course
of the steam yacht was fairly well laid out, but it contained many
turns and twists, due to the many keys--located in these waters.

"We don't want to run on any hidden reef," said the master of the
vessel. "If we do we may go down or be laid up for a long while for
repairs. These waters are fairly well charted, but there is still a
great deal to be learned about them. From time to time they have had
earthquakes down here, and volcano eruptions, and the bottom is
constant