etrak came up from the fore-deck and stood at the foot of the
ladder leading to the bridge, where I could hear Captain Riggs pacing to
and fro and speaking through the trap to the helmsman about the course.

The little red-headed man grinned at me and set to work polishing the
knob of the wheel-house door, and not until that minute did I realize
that he had come along with us in the _Kut Sang_. And he likewise
reminded me at once that it was I who had brought him aboard.

"I signed on, sir," he said, pointing to his new cap, which had the
steamer's name embroidered upon it. "Thanks to you, sir, I got a ship
out."

"I am glad you did," I said curtly, not sure whether I ought to be amused
at the turn of events by which I had unwittingly brought the little
rascal along with me.

I glanced up the companionway to Captain Riggs, and had a mind to go up
and speak to him about Meeker, but I disliked to invade the bridge,
sacred territory at sea. He was standing just at the head of the ladder
then, and could see me.

"Would you mind the peseta, sir?" asked Petrak.

I remembered that he had brought my bag aboard, and, finding a peso in my
pocket--five times what he had asked for--I gave him the coin.

"Here," I said; "take this, and keep out of my reach. I've seen quite
enough of you for a time."

"Please don't tip my crew," Captain Riggs called down to me in a pleasant
manner. "The steward's department must attend to the passengers, for we
are short-handed on deck, and I can't have the men running errands."

"It's for services rendered," I told Riggs, and he nodded as if satisfied
with my explanation, and turned away to the other end of the bridge.

Impulsively I started up the ladder, determined at least to tell him what
I suspected of Meeker and let him judge for himself, or be on his guard
against the old impostor, whether he liked my tale-bearing or not. As I
put my hand out to take the ladder-guard, Petrak thrust himself before me
and barred the way.

"Can't go on the bridge, sir; against orders," he said.

I fell back, convinced that he was right and that I had had a narrow
escape from making an ass of myself. Captain Riggs probably would not
thank me for disturbing him or bothering him with idle rumours and
fanciful yarns about passengers, even though they might be spies.

The steamer was now well into the bay. The sun was at the rim of hills
between us and the open sea, and the sky was aflame in a gorgeous