she was older than Barbara, it was hard to see
her duty. Mrs. Cartwright did not indicate whom she wanted, although she
glanced at Barbara. Since she was ill she had got very languid, and
Cartwright did not meddle. He knew his stepchildren, and it was
characteristic that Grace talked about her duty; taking care of an
invalid at a foreign hotel had not much charm for Grace.

"Very well," said Barbara, "I gave you and Mortimer first chance,
because I'm not important, but since you have good grounds for staying,
we won't argue." She turned to Mrs. Cartwright: "I'm going, because I
want to go."

Mrs. Cartwright gave her a gentle smile and it was plain that she was
satisfied, but when she had gone to bed and Cartwright was alone, he
pondered. Barbara loved her mother and would have gone had she not
wanted to go, but he thought she did want and had an object. He had told
her something about his plans, and had stated that he would use Grand
Canary as a supply depot for the expedition; then he had found the girl
studying an Atlantic chart in the library. Barbara had no doubt noted
the island lay conveniently near the African coast, and knew it was an
important coaling station, at which steamers bound South from Liverpool
called. Cartwright wondered whether she had argued she might see Lister
at Grand Canary.

CHAPTER XI

THE START

Rain was falling and the light had hardly reached the opening between
the tall warehouses. In the dock the water was smooth and shone with
dull reflections, but the gates were open and the muddy swell the flood
tide brought up the river splashed about the entrance. Ponderous lorries
rumbled across a bridge, indistinct figures moved and shouted on the
pierhead, and men in wet oilskins splashed about _Terrier's_ deck.

She was a battered propeller tug and lay against the wall, with large
cases of machinery lashed to her bulwarks, and a stack of coal built up
beside the engine-skylights. Her bunkers were full, but the fuel she
carried would not last very long, and coal is dear at foreign ports.
Coils of thick wire rope and diving gear occupied her shallow hold, and
Cartwright was annoyed because she could not take the massive
centrifugal pump which he had sent by an African liner. Some extra coal
and supplies were loaded on a clumsy wooden hulk, but he durst not risk
her carrying expensive machinery.

When he talked to the captain in the pilot-house, he was, on the whole,
satisfied. Brown's