edient sauntered back smiling, and sat down with Monkhouse for a
little space. The eyes he saw were large, red-rimmed and troubled;
tales and conspiracies flagged miserably. Bedient chaffed him for
having become incoherent, and left shortly for his own room, where he
pressed out two of the thinnest possible sheets of paper, closely
written on both sides, and made them his own to the least detail:

DEAR MR. BEDIENT:

I hardly know how to begin, I am so excited and have so much to
say. (The letter was dated less than two hours before.) Senor
Rey, the Glow-worm, the couple known as "the Sorensons," Mr.
Framtree and myself are sailing to-night on the _Savonarola_.
There will also be Chinese, probably three, two to manage the
yacht and one for the cabin. I'm not quite sure, but I think we
are to have supper aboard. I have been aboard the yacht. The cabin
takes up a large part of the hold. There are two doors forward.
The one to the left opens into the galley, and the one to the
right opens into the forecastle, where there are three berths for
the crew, a few ship's stores, piles of cordage, tackle, chains,
etc. The berths, of course, will not be occupied this trip, as we
plan to be out only a few hours, and the sailors will be on deck.

There is a fine place for concealment in this forecastle.
(Possibly under the lower bunk; numerous bedding-rolls lying about
might be pulled in after one.) The difficulty will be in getting
aboard. There is but a single companion-way to the cabin. It will
not be locked this afternoon early, but doubtless there will be a
servant or two making ready for the sail. Provisions will be
boarded this afternoon, as Senor Rey is a bountiful entertainer.
It may happen that the Chinese, in loading the provisions, will be
a considerable distance off, or even up the steps to the cliff,
for moments at a time. This is the random chance I think of.

The undergrowth is dense on the steep slopes which jut down to the
water of the Inlet. One might conceal oneself there, and await the
offered chance, not more than twenty or thirty feet from the cabin
door. This is the really discouraging part of the whole
preliminary, but I may be able to assist you further at the proper
time. There seems absolutely no other way to arrange an interview
for you with Mr. Framt