merchant house and asked for the junior partner. She was strangely calm,
although she knew that when the strain was over she would pay. In the
meantime, she needed help and admitted it was lucky young men liked her;
she had not hesitated to use her charm on the American. The junior
partner was keen to help, and going with her to a coaling office,
offered to charter a powerful Spanish tug the company had recently
bought. The manager agreed and Barbara made a calculation.

"If you can get the boat ready to sail in the morning, I'll send you a
check when she starts," she said.

They went out and the merchant gave Barbara an approving smile. "I
imagine they haven't at the moment much use for the tug, which accounts
for their being willing to take a moderate sum. All the same, you
handled the situation like a good business man. Had they known much
about your plans before we agreed, they would have sent the tug and
claimed a large reward for salvage. In fact, it looks as if you had
saved Mr. Cartwright--"

"It's possible," Barbara broke in impatiently. "Still they don't know
where _Arcturus_ is and that her crew are ill. Now, however, we must
engage fresh men to relieve the others. I don't mind if you pay them
something over the usual rate."

The merchant engaged the crew of a Spanish fishing schooner that was
being laid up, and Barbara returning to the hotel found Wheeler in the
garden.

"I've got all the medicine and truck I reckon would be useful," he said.
"If the steamboat man didn't exaggerate, you want a doctor next."

Barbara gave him a level glance and smiled. "If you like, you may go! A
fast tug sails in the morning."

"Why," he said, "I'd be delighted! You can call it fixed. I came along
for a holiday, but soon found that loafing made me tired--"

"Thank you," said Barbara and was gone.

The doctor laughed and joining an English friend in the hotel ordered a
drink.

"I reckon I've been rushed," he remarked. "You folks look slow, but I
allow when you do get started some of you can move. Since lunch I've
been helping an English girl fix some things and she hit a pace that
left me out of breath."

"Miss Hyslop?" said the other. "Perhaps if she'd had a job for me I
might have used an effort to get up speed. A charming girl, and I think
she's resolute."

"She's surely resolute!" Wheeler agreed. "Miss Hyslop sees where she
wants to go and gets there by the shortest road."

When dusk fell Barbara thought