es
he?" he laughed, as a stout, grizzled man, with congested face and
eyes, and a peremptory voice husky with alcoholic irritation, suddenly
appeared among the group by the wheel. "I reckon he's cursing his luck
at having to heave-to and lose this wind."

"But for a human creature's life!" exclaimed Mrs. Markham in horror.

"That's just it. Laying-to now ain't going to save anybody's life, and
he knows it. He's doin' it for show, just for a clean record in the log,
and to satisfy you people here, who'd kick up a row if he didn't."

"Then you believe he's lost?" said Miss Keene, with glistening eyes.

"There ain't a doubt of it," returned Winslow shortly.

"I don't agree with you," said a gentle voice.

They turned quickly towards the benevolent face of Senor Perkins, who
had just joined them.

"I differ from my young friend," continued the Senor courteously,
"because the accident must have happened at about daybreak, when we were
close inshore. It would not be impossible for a good swimmer to reach
the land, or even," continued Senor Perkins, in answer to the ray of
hope that gleamed in Miss Keene's soft eyes, "for him to have been
picked up by some passing vessel. The smoke of a large steamer was
sighted between us and the land at about that time."

"A steamer!" ejaculated Banks eagerly; "that was one of the new line
with the mails. How provoking!"

He was thinking of his lost letters. Miss Keene turned, heart-sick,
away. Worse than the ghastly interruption to their easy idyllic life
was this grim revelation of selfishness. She began to doubt if even the
hysterical excitement of her sister passengers was not merely a pleasant
titillation of their bored and inactive nerves.

"I believe the Senor is right, Miss Keene," said Brace, taking her
aside, "and I'll tell you why." He stopped, looked around him, and went
on in a lower voice, "There are some circumstances about the affair
which look more like deliberation than an accident. He has left nothing
behind him of any value or that gives any clue. If it was a suicide he
would have left some letter behind for somebody--people always do, you
know, at such times--and he would have chosen the open sea. It seems
more probable that he threw himself overboard with the intention of
reaching the shore."

"But why should he want to leave the ship?" echoed the young girl
simply.

"Perhaps he found out that we were NOT going to Mazatlan, and this was
his only chance; i