as not sorry Fleming had taken French leave. Neidlinger could be
trusted now, and neither Higgins nor Gallagher would go far astray
without a leader.

But both the engineers had known of Bothwell's plans from the first. If
I could have foreseen what effect the desertion of our second engineer
was to have upon the expedition I would not have taken his disappearance
so easily.

Our stay on the canal zone was a delightful one, though we were busy
every minute of the time enjoying ourselves or making preparations for
departure. With some difficulty Blythe picked up two engineers and a
couple of firemen from Barbados and Jamaica, the latter of whom were
natives. Philips was to stay at Panama until our return.

I had my share of duty aboard the _Argos_ to do, but every minute that
was my own I spent in the old city or on the works.

Evelyn surprised us by making no objection to our decree that she should
remain at Panama while we took the _Argos_ down to San Miguel Bay to
lift the doubloons. In spite of her courage she was a woman. She
confessed to me that she had seen bloodshed enough on the way down from
California to last her a lifetime. The thought of returning so soon to
the yacht had been a dreadful one to her.

On the afternoon of our last day at Panama, Evelyn and I went out to
the old sea wall for an hour together. The tide was in and from the
parapet we watched the waves beat against the foot of the wall.

Away to our right was Balboa, above which rested a smoke pall from tugs,
dredges, and tramp west coasters. Taboga we could just make out, and
closer in a group of smaller islands the names of which I have
forgotten. Beyond them all stretched the endless Pacific.

Evelyn was quieter than usual, but I had never seen her look so lovely.
The poise of my dear girl's burnished head, the untutored grace of her
delicate youth, the gleam of tears behind the tremulous smile, all made
mighty appeal to me.

"I'm afraid for you, Jack. That's the truth of it. We've just found each
other--after all these years. I don't want to run the risk of losing you
again." Ever so slightly her voice broke.

"You'll not lose me. Do you think anything could keep me away--with the
sweetest girl in the world waiting for me here?"

"I know," she smiled, a little drearily. "It sounds foolish, but I think
of that dreadful man."

We had been following the cement promenade on top of the wall. I led her
across it to the landward side, fr