f Nigger Ben had seen something other than the
flapping canvas, then that someone or something had gone aboard the
_New Moon_ at San Diego and had made the entire cruise with them. That
could hardly have been done without Barlow's knowledge. Two points
struck him then. First, Barlow had demanded who Zoraida Castelmar was;
had not Barlow even learned the name of the girl of the pearls?
Second, it recurred to him that Barlow had followed her to the hotel in
the border town, had even had word with her, since he had brought
Kendric a message. Why had Barlow gone to the hotel at all? His
explanation at the time had been reasonable enough; he had said that he
had gone to get a room. But now Kendric remembered how Barlow, on that
same night, had expressed his determination to be riding by moonrise!
What would he have done with a hotel room?

But slowly the dawn was coming, the ragged shore was revealing itself,
Barlow was calling for help with the small boat. Kendric shrugged his
shoulders and kept his mouth shut.

CHAPTER IV

INDICATING THAT THAT WHICH APPEARS THE EARTHLY
PARADISE MAY PROVE QUITE ANOTHER SORT OF PLACE

A strip of white beach three hundred feet long, a score of paces across
at its widest, with black barren cliffs guarding it and the faint pink
dawn slowly growing a deeper rose over it, such was the port of
adventure into which nosed the row boat bringing Jim Kendric and Twisty
Barlow treasure seeking. In the stern crouched Nigger Ben, come ashore
in order to row the boat back to the _New Moon_, his eyes bulging with
wonderment that men should come all the way from San Diego to disembark
upon so solitary a spot. The dingey shoved its nose into the sand,
Kendric and Barlow carrying their small packs and rifles sprang out,
Nigger Ben shook his head and pushed off again.

"Up the cliffs the easiest way," cried Barlow, his eyes shining with
excitement. "Up there I'll get my bearin's and we'll steer a
straight-string line for what's ahead, Headlong, old mate! Step lively
is the word now while it's cool. And by noon, if we're in luck----"

He left the rest to any man's imagination and hastened across the sand
and to the rock wall. But more forbidding than ever rose the cliffs
against the path of men who did not know their every crevice, and it
was full day and the sun was up before they came panting to the top.
Down went packs, with two heaving-chested, bright-eyed men atop of
them, while