imply dare not tell him I read that scrap of a letter, even by chance."

The dog, apparently, found her an excellent substitute; he licked her
ear contentedly. That tickled her, and she laughed.

"I fear you are a fickle lover, Joey," she said aloud. "But you will
simply be compelled to remain constant to me while we are in this
horrid place, and that may be for the remainder of our lives, dear."

Joey tried to lick her again to show that he didn't care. What could
any reasonable dog want more than fine weather, enough to eat, and the
prospect of an occasional scrimmage?

When Elsie did ultimately climb to the chart-house, the fit of
despondency had fled. Boyle was there, having been carried up in a
deck chair early in the day. He was alone.

"Huh!" he growled pleasantly. "You 're lookin' as bright as a new pin,
Miss Maxwell. Now, if I had been among the pirates, I'd have taken you
with me."

"Do you mean to say that you are actually paying me compliments?" said
she.

"Am I? Huh; didn't mean to. I'm an old married man. But pirates,
especially Spanish ones, are supposed to be very handy with knives and
other fellows' girls."

"You see they did not consider me a prize."

"The rascals! Good job you missed that boat. Christobal has been
tellin' me all about it. They've gone under."

"Do you really think so?"

"Can't see any chance for them, Miss Maxwell."

"But we are almost as badly situated here?"

"Huh, not a bit of it. Lucky chap, Courtenay. He couldn't lose a ship
if he tried. She 'd follow him 'cross country like that pup. Look at
me: lost three, all brand new from the builders. One foundered, one
burnt, an' one stuck on the Goodwins. I'm careful, steady as any man
can be, but no owner would trust me with a ship now, unless she was a
back number, an' over-insured. Even then my luck would follow me. I
'd bring that sort of crazy old tub through the Northwest passage. So
I'm first mate, an' first mate I'll remain till my ticket gives out."

A good deal of this was Greek to Elsie. But she knew that Boyle was a
man of curt speech, unless deck hands required the stimulus of a tongue
lashing. Such a string of connected sentences was a rare occurrence.
It argued that the "chief" was not unwilling to indulge in reminiscence.

"Why do you consider Captain Courtenay so fortunate?" she asked,
flushing somewhat at the guile which lay behind the question.

"Huh," snorted Boyle, amazed tha