he skipper was in a
hammock under the bridge-awning and could not get up. An African trader,
Montgomery of a Liverpool house, seemed to have control. His skin was
yellow, like a mulatto's."

A young American doctor to whom Barbara had been talking looked up.

"Jaundice after malaria!" he remarked. "I don't know West Africa, but I
was at Panama! Was malaria all the rest had got?"

"It was not," the passenger replied meaningly. "However, if you know
Panama--"

"Did you try to tow the ship?" Barbara interrupted.

"The mate thought it impossible. She was big and foul with weed, our
boat is small, and we could not delay much because of the mails. We sent
a surf-boat across with water and food, and then steamed on."

Barbara looked about the table. Mrs. Cartwright was at the other end and
Barbara thought she had not heard. She touched the young doctor.

"Will you help me on board the African steamer? I must see the captain."

"Why, certainly! We'll look for a boat," the other replied and they went
off.

Barbara saw the captain and when she stated that the owner of _Arcturus_
was her step-father he sent for the chief mate, who narrated his visit
to the wreck.

"You took the ship's doctor," said Barbara. "Is he now on board?"

The mate said he imagined the doctor had not landed and Barbara turned
to Wheeler.

"Go and find him! Find out all you can!"

For some time afterwards she talked to the ship's officers, and when
Wheeler returned went back to her boat. While the _peons_ rowed them to
the mole she asked Wheeler for his pocket-book and wrote an address.

"Don Luis Sarmiento is the best doctor in the town and had something to
do with a fever hospital in Cuba," she said. "If you tell him I sent
you, he will help. Take all the medicine he can give you and then go to
Leopard Trading Company and buy whatever you think sick men would need.
Bring me the bills."

"If I get all that would be useful, it will cost you high," said Wheeler
and helped her up the steps at the mole.

"That is not important. Get the things!"

"Very well. But the ship is six hundred miles off. How are you going to
put the truck on board?"

"I'm going to see about that next," Barbara replied and indicated a
cloud of dust rolling along the road. "There's the steam tram. Don't
talk; hustle!"

Wheeler lifted his cap and running along the mole jumped on board the
tram.

When he had gone Barbara went to the office of an important English