t at it in any
discussion with the man principally concerned? I want to say this,
though--you are in no danger. There is no ship so safe as one that is
picked out for wilful destruction. Men will not sacrifice their own
lives even to make good an insurance policy, and I suppose that is what
is intended. So you can sleep sound o' nights--at any rate until we
near the coast of Brazil. I can only promise you if any watchfulness
on my part can stop this piece of villainy---- Hello, there! What's
up? Why is the ship falling away from her course?"

The sudden change in his voice startled the girl so greatly that she
uttered a slight shriek. It took her an appreciable time to understand
that he was speaking to the man at the wheel. But the sailor knew what
he meant.

"Something's gone wrong with the wheel, sir," he bawled. "I wasn't
certain at first, so I tried to put her over a bit to s'uth'ard. Then
she jammed for sure."

Hozier leaped to the telegraph and signaled "slow" to the engine-room.
Already the golden pathway behind the _Andromeda_ had changed from a
wavering yet generally straight line to a well-defined curve. There
was a hiss and snort of escaping steam as the sailor inside the
chart-house endeavored to force the machinery into action.

"Steady there!" bellowed Hozier. "Wait until we have examined the
gear-boxes. There may be a kink in a chain."

A loud order brought the watch scurrying along the deck. Some of the
men ran to examine the bearings of the huge fan-shaped casting that
governed the movements of the rudder, while others began to tap the
wooden shields which protected the steering rods and chains. In the
midst of the hammering and excitement, Captain Coke swung himself up to
the bridge.

"Well, I'm blowed! _You_ here?" he said, looking at Iris. "Wot is it
now?" he asked, turning sharply to Hozier. "Wheel stuck again?"

"Yes, sir. Has it happened before?"

"Well--er--not this trip. But it 'as 'appened. Just for a minnit I
was mixin' it up with the night you nearly ran down that bloomin'
hooker off the Irish coast. Ah, there she goes! Everything O.K. now.
W'en daylight comes we'll overhaul the fixin's. Nice thing if the
wheel jammed just as we was crossin' the Recife!"

Hozier tried to ascertain from the watch if they had found the cause of
the disturbance, but the men could only guess that a chance blow with
an adze had straightened a kink in one of the casings. Coke